This is likely not news to you – healthcare providers handle a lot of sensitive and confidential information concerning patients’ health and finances that are tremendously valuable to hackers.
In a digital workplace rife with hackers and data breaches, many industries are struggling to keep their cybersecurity up to date, including the healthcare industry. When patients share their personal information, they expect it to stay secure and private.
Surprisingly, personal health information is more valuable on the black market today than credit information. Cyber criminals will target your patients with insurance scams and fraudulent medical lawsuit verdicts based on their medical histories. These kinds of scams can cost unsuspecting people thousands of dollars and completely ruin the patient experience.
It is vital that healthcare organizations understand what they’re up against and the importance of effective, comprehensive data security for protecting their patients and their data.
Is HIPAA Compliance Enough?
Many healthcare providers erroneously believe that by complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 – commonly known as HIPAA – they are protecting their patients from these breaches of privacy. It usually isn’t this simple.
Laws and policy cannot keep up with the evolution of technology and cybersecurity needs. Healthcare organizations need to look at the reality of their cybersecurity preparedness if they are going to find solutions for mitigating data breaches.
What Should Healthcare Providers Do After a Data Breach?
Many healthcare providers are unprepared when a data breach happens, which is why it is imperative that businesses consult with their managed security service provider (MSSP) for cybersecurity solutions and proper planning.
Your MSSP can offer your organization a variety of digital security services to keep your systems and data secure. Solutions that bolster your infrastructure, help patch holes and provide constant monitoring to detect and address suspicious activity.
Working with an MSSP that has experience serving the healthcare industry will get you the best results. They will understand your system’s infrastructure and its weaknesses, and ensure it is HIPAA compliant. They will understand the unique risks associated with medical data and the importance of keeping your patients’ information safe and confidential.
Even though data breaches are impossible to prevent completely, MSSP’s will take the vital steps for responding to a cyber-attack based on extensive planning. Once data defenses have been compromised, the following three steps are typically taken:
- Create a data breach response plan – In addition to a plan for preventing a data breach, your MSSP will also have a plan for when one occurs. Established action plans minimize mistakes during the emergency and implement damage control faster and easier.
- Perform continued internal monitoring – Your MSSP is already monitoring your network. Your MSSP needs to know what that hacker or malware is doing so they can assess the damage and stop it from continuing. They will also learn how the to prevent a similar attack in the future from knowing how the current breach happened.
- Contact the right parties – While your MSSP identifies a data breach and works to stop it, you may need to report the breach immediately to several important entities. A good first call is to your lawyer. You may need advice for proving you took reasonable action to prevent and address the data breach to minimize your liability.
Second, you need to let your internal team know your network is compromised, that your data is in danger, what they should do on their end and what actions your MSSP is taking. This procedure is usually explained in your established data breach response plan.
Once all relevant parties are aware of the data breach, it will be all hands on deck for securing the compromised network again and determining how another breach can be prevented in the future.
How Does ATSG’s Managed Security Services Protect Your Patients?
Healthcare practitioners cannot rely on antiquated network systems and HIPAA guidelines to guide their security efforts.
ATSG has served healthcare organizations for over two decades, helping them transform digitally and stay abreast of new data security threats as they evolve. We have the agility to provide your organization managed security solutions that fit your needs now and later as technology and security threats continue to evolve.
As your MSSP, ATSG works with you to provide expert advice and cutting-edge security resources to ensure your computer and data systems are always protected. We help you establish best security practices, manage your security devices, monitor and analyze potential threats, support you through active threats and manage secured information.
ATSG knows that secure IT systems are vital to your operations and your patients’ wellbeing. Don’t put either at risk with poor security. Let ATSG keep your digital infrastructure and your patients’ medical records safe with our outstanding managed security services.
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