The healthcare industry faces a unique and urgent challenge in the ever-evolving world of cyber threats. As businesses across sectors fortify their digital defenses, healthcare stands out as a critical target due to its reliance on interconnected devices and vast repositories of sensitive patient data.

A new survey by cybersecurity vendor Netwrix found that 84% of healthcare organizations spotted a cyberattack in the past twelve months, with phishing attacks accounting for 63% of these incidents. “Phishing was the most common type of incident experienced on premises, similar to other industries,” Netwrix says. “Account compromise topped the list for cloud attacks: 74% of healthcare organizations that spotted a cyberattack reported user or admin account compromise.”

Protegrity specializes in protecting sensitive data, a focus we’ve maintained for around 20 years. Our customer base includes many large enterprises, particularly in the healthcare and financial sectors, spanning across the globe. Our clients include some of the most renowned companies worldwide.

Cyber Essentials scheme is a UK government-backed initiative designed to help organisations, large or small, shield themselves from common cyber threats. It outlines a straightforward set of technical security controls that, when appropriately implemented, can reduce an organisation’s attack surface. This is particularly vital for NHS and healthcare organisations. They handle NHS data that needs robust protection.

Protecting sensitive information is critical in healthcare. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) form the foundation of healthcare operations. However, these data types come with significant privacy risks. Advanced de-identification techniques provide a reliable way to secure this data while complying with regulations like HIPAA.

The healthcare industry stands at the cusp of a major transformation with the introduction of the Healthcare Information Security Accountability Act (HISAA), a progressive regulatory framework set to replace the decades-old Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HISAA is designed to address the evolving complexities of healthcare data management, emphasizing real-time data governance, proactive monitoring, and stricter controls over third-party data exchanges.

It’s becoming all too common these days: ransomware hitting another organization. However, most people don’t know exactly what happens when ransomware is found and what must be addressed. What makes it even more challenging for healthcare is that the data that can be stolen, like personal health information, is much more valuable than credit card numbers.

The Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has launched an effort to improve cybersecurity measures for a wide variety of healthcare organizations. The aim is to counter the significant increase in the number of breaches and cyberattacks impacting healthcare along with the common deficiencies OCR has observed in its investigations into Security Rule compliance, cybersecurity guidelines, best practices, methodologies, procedures, and processes.

Attributed to Michael Pride, Senior Sales Director – APAC, Protegrity In recent years, Australia’s healthcare sector has faced significant challenges regarding data privacy. With high-profile breaches exposing sensitive patient information, the responsibility for safeguarding this data has shifted from individuals to organisations.