The need for healthcare data protection is more significant than ever
before, especially now that much more patient information is moving
from paper records to electronic health records (EHR), often along
with many other entities that can access the documents. With the
technology being part of the modern EHR, there is an increased risk of
breach when storing or moving information electronically, and, for
healthcare organizations, the consequences for patient safety and
business can be very serious. The main data security issues relate to
who has access to patient records and other information. For some
organizations, people within the company might be considered
trustworthy to have access; however, on the other hand, there may be a
high risk of data breaches if many people are permitted to access the
information. For example, privacy and security are compromised if
access to health information is given to everyone in a sizeable
healthcare organization with professionals from various departments,
some of whom may have questioned reliability.
Statistics show that the problem is severe. Last year, one study
revealed that the healthcare industry is one of the most hacked
sectors, with thousands of data breaches occurring yearly. According
to a recent report from the U.S Department of Health and Human
Services, during 27 months, nearly 50 million healthcare records were
exposed due to data breaches, which importantly indicates not only the
disruption to healthcare services but also great financial penalties,
legal consequences, efforts to remove the breaches and so on. Such
statistics call for efficient and secure data protection measures.
This article addresses strategies for dealing with data breaches in
healthcare software. By examining best practices, regulatory
compliance, and the hottest new technologies, we hope to help
healthcare organizations better protect their data and safeguard their
patients' trust. As healthcare continues to digitalize, we need to
learn the best ways to ensure the integrity of our patients’ data and
maintain the quality standards of healthcare delivery.
A healthcare data security regulatory framework ensures that a
healthcare organization and any affiliates interacting with its
sensitive patients’ data adhere to established rules to protect
patient information under care. Critical federal laws include the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health
(HITECH) Act. HIPAA created national standards to protect individuals’
health information by requiring all businesses and providers to secure
their information. HITECH extends those protections by requiring
hospitals, labs, and clinics to adopt and demonstrate the ‘meaningful
use’ of electronic health records (also known as ‘EHRs’), according to
the HITECH Act, the US Department of Health and Human Services
explains. Penalties for breaches of EHRs were greatly increased as
well. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European
Union has similar obligations for healthcare organizations, including
enhancing the protection of individuals’ data and their privacy
rights.
Compliance with these regulations ensures the security of patient
information and earns patients' trust. The fundamental tenets of
HIPAA, HITECH, and GDPR pave the way toward a widely used security
infrastructure to protect healthcare organizations and patients’ data
from data breaches and other unauthorized access. Although previously,
they did not cover the cloud; recent guidance indicates that HIPAA now
includes regulations for the cloud. Other fundamental safeguards such
as encryption, access controls, regular auditing, and periodic
employee awareness have become essential cyber-security instruments
due to the legislation. These safeguards encourage a culture of
accountability among organizations dedicated to assessing how they are
secure and how much they invest in protecting patients’ information.
Furthermore, compliance empowers patients to rebuild their confidence
in the organizations and their services, resulting in a more efficient
way of doing business for an organization by eliminating the risks
posed by data security.
For organizations that fail to comply with these requirements, the
consequences can be severe. They may face substantial fines – ranging
from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the nature of the
violation, the organization's size, and its reputation. Lawsuits,
disaccreditation, and additional regulation could further compound the
issue. The financial and reputational fallout can be catastrophic –
leading to a loss of market share, patient trust, and more. It is,
therefore, not just a legal requirement to keep up with these
regulatory schemes, but a crucial aspect of proactive health data
security that cannot be ignored.
There might be hundreds of vulnerabilities within a system for sharing
healthcare data among devices such as a patient table or ePrescription
printer. The vulnerabilities in healthcare software can be specific to
the platform, operating system, and storage system. For example,
robust encryption, multi-factor authentication, or weak access-control
passwords might be needed. This will create vulnerabilities for an
actor to exploit. Due to the lack of sufficient staff training and a
culture of learning, data-sharing mistakes are still made.
Some potential threats to these applications include phishing,
ransomware, and insider threats. Phishing attacks generally take the
form of a malicious email or sms message designed to deceive the user
into entering private information or credentials, which can result in
unauthorized access to a healthcare system. Ransomware attacks encode
critical data, making it inaccessible until a ransom is paid. Insider
threats are also a problem and can arise from disgruntled employees or
people with a lack of security hygiene habits since they often have
legitimate access. This combination of threats demands comprehensive
protection against internal and external risks.
Legacy systems are another leading cause of vulnerability in
healthcare software. Many healthcare facilities still use legacy
software, which has not received any security updates or patches, to
protect systems from new threats. These legacy systems might not be
compatible with newer security software, so upgrading protective
systems can be complex. In general, legacy software lacks critical
modern security features that would help to protect against today’s
attacks. As healthcare technology advances, organizations need to
estimate how much legacy software they use and take measures to
migrate away from older software and adopt more modern, secure
systems.
Consequently, several layers of authentication should be in place to safeguard this information. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enhances security by requiring two or more verification factors (such as a knowledge-based factor, such as a password, or a location-based factor, such as a device or a fingerprint) to grant access to a system. MFA dramatically reduces the risk of users gaining access to a system when their passwords are compromised. Passwords should be complex, changed as frequently as possible, and never repeated across accounts or programs. Access controls should also be in place, where employees will only have access to the amount of information necessary for the execution of their jobs to limit the risk of a data breach.
Encrypting data at rest (i.e., information that is stored but not being used or transmitted) and in motion (transmitted from one computer to another) ensures that it is no longer readable if stolen by unauthorized users. Encryption should always be enabled and be the default setting for all data and information residing on servers or devices in healthcare organizations. For example, end-to-end encrypted messages are impossible to decrypt since they travel in a secret code that only recipients can decipher. Securing data at rest and in motion helps to mitigate the risk of theft, manipulation, and other cyber threats. Other secure communication protocols (such as HTTPS and tools such as Virtual Private Networks – VPNs to encrypt network traffic) also ensure that data traversing the internet is protected from interception.
Regular security audits and assessments should be conducted to identify the vulnerability of healthcare systems and applications. Through the audit process, healthcare organizations can assess their security posture and find weaknesses that cybercriminals may exploit. Organizations can proactively simulate attacks and ascertain security controls using penetration testing and vulnerability assessments. By reviewing audit findings and updating security protocols regularly, organizations can assess their readiness to defend against emerging threats and preserve data integrity.
Lastly, training all employees on data security best practices is another way of reducing the occurrences of data breaches. Staff are often the first eyes and gatekeepers in protecting IT systems. An organization that instills the employees' ‘healthy security habits’ will allow them to present early warnings on suspicious activities and build a culture of trust and security responsibility among employees at all levels. Routine and regular training in security awareness and threats is needed to reinforce the data security focus of all staff of an organization and empower them to take more active ownership in protecting sensitive information and any possible breaches.
One of the best ways to improve the protection of sensitive healthcare
data is to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
(ML). AI and ML algorithms can quickly analyze large amounts of
computer data and identify security events that may be warning signs
of a cyberattack. Because these tools can automatically identify
unusual behavior, they can enable healthcare organizations to respond
to attackers quickly – well before a breach occurs. Additionally, if
predictive analytics can identify where a data breach could occur,
healthcare organizations can take steps to pre-empt the attack.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems are integral
parts of providing optimal healthcare cybersecurity. These systems
aggregate and share security data across an organization’s network,
providing a single source of information that reflects the state of
the security infrastructure. SIEM solutions perform security functions
like live monitoring, threat detection, and incident response and play
a vital role in identifying criminal activity. By centralizing
security management, SIEM systems allow full compliance with
regulations and improve overall security posture.
The benefit of investing in strong cybersecurity systems such as
firewalls, intrusion detection systems to flag suspicious activity,
and endpoint protection can be immense for healthcare organizations.
These systems provide multiple lines of defense to keep out the bad
guys. With real-time monitoring and automated responses, organizations
can minimize the potential impact of any breaches that penetrate their
defenses. The data remains protected. Maintaining these cyber
protection systems means that healthcare organizations can continue to
keep their patient information secure. This, in turn, fosters the
ability of organizations to maintain regulatory compliance and
preserve their reputations in a growing digital landscape.
To conclude, security in healthcare software, whether commercial or open source, is necessary to maintain the credibility of these systems and protect patient's data. Due to the increasing number of data breaches, with the financial incentives of black markets incentivizing this activity, the medical industry must keep protection standards as high as possible, not only by following the guidelines of regulatory frameworks but by introducing advanced technologies to mitigate the risk. Organizations should also implement best practices like solid authentication, end-to-end encryption, regular security audits, and educating staff about security. The integrity of healthcare providers is crucial in maintaining the patient's trust.
Privacy policy
© All Rights Reserved