Why Are So Many Healthcare Companies Still Being Breached?

The following is a guest article by Terry Ray, SVP, Data Security GTM, and Field CTO at Imperva Despite satisfying regulatory requirements, 93% of healthcare organizations have experienced a data breach within the past three years and 57% have been breached more than five times over that span. The alarming frequency and severity of these breaches leave many wondering why. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is one of the most well-known –  though broadly misunderstood – data protection regulations, and it includes stiff penalties for noncompliance. With such stringent protections in place, why do healthcare data breaches continue to persist? Why do Attackers Target Healthcare? Personal data of any kind can be sold for a profit on the dark web, but health records represent a particularly lucrative target for attackers. While social security numbers are valued at around $1 each and credit card information can fetch anywhere from $5 to $100, medical records can easily be worth thousands to cyber criminals. What’s more, bank accounts can be closed and credit cards canceled, but medical records contain unalterable information that can be used to file fraudulent insurance claims, obtain prescriptions, and engage in other illicit behavior. Protecting that data is critical. HIPAA plays a role in that protection, but there is a persistent misconception that compliance and security are synonymous. This is not the case. Although there is some overlap b...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Ambulatory C-Suite Leadership Health IT Company Healthcare IT HIM Hospital - Health System LTPAC Regulations Security and Privacy Cybercriminal EHR Healthcare Cyberattacks Healthcare Data Breach HIPAA Imperva Terry Ray Source Type: blogs