Five Things Hospitals Should Do Immediately to Improve their Cybersecurity Posture

The following is a guest article by Jonathan Goldberger, Senior Vice President, Security Practices & Strategic Sales at TPx
Hospitals face the threat of cyberattacks daily and each attack threatens the hospital’s public brand and, worst of all, public health.
Because nearly every function at hospitals today is electronic, a cyberattack is crippling to the point where a provider can’t do anything. Even tasks such as sending a prescription to the pharmacy and ordering or reviewing X-rays are challenging amid a cyberattack.
It’s no secret that threat actors are targeting companies and organizations regardless of their size. However, hospitals are unique considering the reams of patient data entrusted to them.
As such, a hospital’s approach differs from that of a small or a mid-sized company.
Compounding the issue for most hospitals is that they operate on tight budgets and thin staff, and often, they don’t have everything they need. This causes key vulnerabilities in areas where the risk hasn’t been reduced.
Recognize that the Risk is Real
Before hospitals can act on the threat, they must accept that it is real and understand their organization’s shortcomings. An annual gap assessment is the best way to understand those areas where improvement is needed.
The pace of technology and regulations is changing rapidly, and a gap assessment can give an organization a frame of mind to mark where they are while also recognizing the needs they must bridge for everyone wh...

Source: EMR and HIPAA - October 9, 2023 Category: Information Technology Authors: Guest Author Tags: Ambulatory C-Suite Leadership Health IT Company Healthcare IT Hospital - Health System IT Infrastructure and Dev Ops LTPAC Security and Privacy Cyberattacks Cybersecurity Cybersecurity Training Healthcare Cybersecurity Healthcare R Source Type: blogs