Why Does Healthcare Sector Need to Prep for Data Security?

Digital threat looms large on all the organizations around the world. With an increasing demand for connectivity and to store data, companies are falling short on security strategies. Over the last decade, the healthcare sector took active steps toward the implementation of technology, attracting many untoward elements along with it. What makes the data security issue dangerous in the healthcare sector is that it can compromise patients’ health, even if without directly coming in contact with the patient.

According to the Beazley 2019 Breach Briefing in 2018, 41% of the attempted breaches were targeted toward healthcare organizations, followed by financial institutions at 20%, education sector ranking in the third place at 10%, and professional services at 7%.

The rise in a data breach is affecting the complete healthcare system putting patients at risk. Data breaches disrupt access to medical records and plug out the critical systems from the technology.  Disruption of the healthcare system can have adverse effects not only on patients’ health but on the economy of the nation as well. According to the 2018 Cost of a Data Breach report, every record breached costs around $408. The recent ransomware attack in Wisconsin affected 110 nursing homes, which were completely cut-off from the health records. 

In Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigation Report, healthcare is currently the only industry wherein the insider threat has created more data breach than external attacks. Over 59% of the total number of attacks are associated with internal attacks. Mis-delivery is the most common type of human error that will lead to data breaches amounting to 15% of the total breaches in the healthcare sector.

Healthcare organizations around the world need to invest in data protection policies, tools, and training. The recent scrutiny of healthcare data protection by different governments has even increased the liabilities for any type of breach. Investment toward security is for data protection and also enhances the facility provided by the healthcare organization.