Six weeks after Change Healthcare fell victim to a cyberattack, its fallout continues to disrupt thousands of providers across the country. As the nation’s largest claims and prescription processor, the attack on Change Healthcare has underscored some crucial learnings for the healthcare sector that can help curtail such incidents in the future.
First, experts insist that the healthcare sector is not vulnerable due to an under-investment in cybersecurity. Robert Turner of Kaufman Hall believes that the attractiveness of the information healthcare organizations maintain is what makes the sector susceptible. With 133 million patient records breached last year marking a 156% increase in breaches from 2022, it is quite clear that the sector is a target for cybercriminals.
Second, the dependency on third-party vendors further compounds the cybersecurity risks in the healthcare sector. The Change Healthcare attack is an example of how consolidation and mergers in the healthcare sector can expose more patients, pharmacies, providers, and doctors to potential data loss and disruptions in care.
The third lesson highlights the need for healthcare organizations to have a reliable business continuity plan in case such an attack occurs. The chaos in the aftermath of the Change Healthcare attack and the delays in recovery indicate the possibly inadequate business continuity planning within the healthcare sector.
Last, but in no way least, the sector needs to work towards fostering a healthier culture of transparency and collaboration. Cybersecurity firms such as Lumu encourage the sharing of real-time threat information, harmonizing regulations and coordinating incident responses among healthcare organizations. Coupled with a transparent collaboration with government bodies, this could enhance cyber resilience within the sector.
Balance and harmony in preparedness, reactive measures, and a collective approach to tackle cybersecurity threats are a few pointers that the sector can take away from the recent attacks. As such incidents continue to surge, these lessons could help shape a more resilient and secure structure within the healthcare sector on a global scale. For more insights and details, visit the full article.