
By: Michael Vincelette on October 30th, 2024
Actionable Steps to Help Healthcare Practices Strengthen Cybersecurity
You can’t watch the news without hearing about the challenges facing organizations in protecting sensitive data. The healthcare industry, with its immense amount of patient information, is no different.
The recent Change Healthcare breach reminds us that healthcare organizations are vulnerable to cyberattacks. It doesn’t matter how big or small the practice is, where it’s located, or how long it’s been in business.
Successfully managing cybersecurity in healthcare can be challenging, but it isn’t impossible.
Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Healthcare
In February 2024, Change Healthcare, a major healthcare technology company, suffered a data breach that exposed the sensitive information of over 11 million Americans. This breach is part of a larger trend. In 2023, more than 133 million healthcare records were compromised. Healthcare providers must understand that their systems are also vulnerable and implement cybersecurity strategies to safeguard against similar breaches.
The Role of Managed IT Services
Cybersecurity threats are too complicated and evolve too fast for providers to try managing them on their own. Managed IT services providers like Integrity Systems & Solutions offer advanced security solutions. Outsourcing these services includes real-time monitoring, threat detection solutions, and compliance support. Using managed IT services gives doctor and dentist healthcare providers the peace of mind to focus on patient care, confident that their data is secure.
4 Steps for Strengthening Cybersecurity
To protect your practice from cyberattacks and healthcare data breaches, use these four actionable steps:
Reevaluate Your Cybersecurity Posture
Audit your practice's current cybersecurity defense strategies. How strong are your firewalls? How tough are your encryption protocols? How extensive are your network security measures? These answers can help identify gaps in your defenses, giving you time to address the issues.
Ensure HIPAA Compliance
HIPAA compliance must go hand-in-hand with every policy, including your cybersecurity strategy. HIPAA violations can damage your practice’s reputation and put it on the hook for costly fines. Closely integrate HIPAA requirements into every part of your cybersecurity strategy.
Train Your Staff
Human error is one of the biggest cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Mandate regular cybersecurity training sessions for all employees, ensuring they stay informed about the latest risks and mitigation techniques. Train staff to recognize and respond to phishing attacks, suspicious emails and other potential threats. Ongoing employee diligence significantly reduces the risk of a breach.
Implement Backup and Recovery Plans
Even with the best defenses, no system is completely immune to attack. A robust backup and recovery plan is essential to minimize a breach's damage. Regularly backing up patient records and critical data ensures that your practice can quickly recover and continue operations after a cybersecurity incident.
Partner With Integrity Systems & Solutions to Protect Your Practice From Cyber Threats
Cyberattacks aren’t going away. In fact, they’re only getting more aggressive and sophisticated.
By partnering with a trusted managed IT service provider like Integrity Systems & Solutions, healthcare practices can implement comprehensive security solutions, ensure compliance with HIPAA regulatory requirements, and train staff to recognize and respond to cyber threats.