The following is a guest article by Shawn Fergason, Senior Vice President of Information Technology and Technology Services at MediQuant
Securing healthcare data archiving is not just good practice – it’s essential for safeguarding confidential patient information and should be a cornerstone of a healthcare organization’s cybersecurity program. Alongside other protective measures, data archiving plays a pivotal role in strengthening security by retiring applications and software that aren’t receiving regular support, monitoring, and patching.
According to MarketsandMarkets, the global cybersecurity market is estimated to grow from 173.5 billion in 2022 to 266.2 billion by 2027. Cybersecurity enhancements are driven by increased target-based cyber-attacks to draw operational disruptions. In the first half of 2023, over 300 data breaches have been reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights. This marks a significant surge of over 104% compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.
Common Data Security Threats and Vulnerabilities in the Healthcare Sector
Data silos are a reality among outdated legacy applications. Hospitals and clinical systems are running hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applications simultaneously that could be vulnerable to attacks. Inadequate access controls and weak authentication mechanisms also create exploitable security vulnerabilities and opportunities for accidental data leaks.
The severity of healthcare data breaches can’t be overstated. The potential consequences include identity theft, financial fraud, and reputational damage to healthcare organizations.
Three Strategies for Securing Data Archives
To bolster data archive security and protect healthcare organizations and the patients they serve, consider these three strategies to mitigate the risk of breach or attack:
Employee Training
Educating employees on data security practices is a simple and effective method for preventing and limiting accidental data breaches. Employees are often the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain, inadvertently responsible for sharing passwords, inadvertently downloading malware, opening phishing emails, and other cybersecurity gaffes. Annual cybersecurity employee training is a good step towards practicing solid cybersecurity hygiene. Implementing ongoing cybersecurity best practice reminders and training tools can provide continuous learning opportunities.
Commit to Following Cybersecurity Best Practices
Cybersecurity frameworks, like HITRUST CSF, were designed to address risks related to data privacy and data protection. Specifically, HITRUST oversees domains such as information protection programs, endpoint protection, portable media, mobile devices, wireless configuration management, and vulnerability management. It also accounts for risk management, physical and environmental security, data protection, and privacy. By adhering to a holistic cybersecurity framework, you ensure your organization is following best practices while significantly reducing your organization’s cybersecurity risk.
Perform Vendor Risk Assessments
Given the prevalence of data leaks in the healthcare sector, it’s essential to utilize a cybersecurity framework that considers risks brought to your organization by external parties. For example, suppose your hospital wants to use a new SaaS application that stores sensitive data. How can you be sure they have a mature Information Protection Program? Is the application developed according to secure software development practices? Is the data protected in motion and at rest? Are vulnerabilities continuously managed? By assessing supply chain risks, you can take proactive steps to effectively mitigate organizational risks to an acceptable level.
By implementing robust cybersecurity measures such as strong access controls, multi-factor authentication, regular software updates, third-party risk assessments, and employee training, healthcare organizations can ensure their data archives are secure while significantly reducing the likelihood of costly data breaches. Protecting patient information and maintaining the trust of the public should remain paramount in the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.
