In an interesting study, over 81% of healthcare companies report of having been compromised by malware, botnet or other cyber-attacks over the past two years.
The study was released by KPMG and it show that only half of the healthcare companies feel that they are adequately prepared in preventing future cyber-attacks. KPMG polled 223 chief information officers (CIO), chief technology officers (CTO), chief security officers (CSO) and chief compliance officers (COO) at healthcare companies.
Some other interesting numbers included that KPMG found the number of attacks increasing:
- 13% report they are targeted by external hack attempts daily.
- 12% report two or more attacks per week.
- 16% report they cannot detect in real-time if their systems are compromised.
- 66% report that they are prepared for cyber-attacks or hackers.
These are concerning numbers because there is a big risk in vulnerability to patient private data. Cyber criminals value patient records more than credit card information to commit fraud because personal information cannot be easily changed. The attacks have varied and used multiple different methods including malware that is designed to disrupt or gain access to private computer systems and botnet attacks that use hijacked computers to issue spam or attack other systems.
The study also revealed some interesting numbers regarding the greatest vulnerabilities:
- 65% are due to external attackers.
- 48% are due to sharing data with third parties.
- 35% is due to employee breaches and wireless computing
- 27% is due to inadequate firewalls.
How do healthcare companies protect themselves from cyber-attacks?
In order to prevent cyber-attacks, companies must review their IT infrastructure with their IT department or a third party IT consulting firm. Companies must engage in the right security initiatives that fit the organization’s strategy and business goals. There is no cookie cutter solution to security as it comes down how your company operates. A healthcare organization with a mobile workforce may have a different technology need from an organization that processes healthcare claims internally.
A full complete review of your network and business process will give you a clear understanding of your IT network strengths and weaknesses.
365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting firm offering a Complimentary Network and Security Audit. We deliver industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services and Cloud Services.
