It seems like almost every day a new healthcare agency, facility, or network is reporting a data breach.
A lot of it may have to do with the fact that many healthcare organizations have outdated IT systems and lack focus and investment in cybersecurity tools. There’s also employee error, which can inadvertently open up the flood gates to hackers. All of this, combined with the treasure trove of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), known in the industry as Protected or “Personal” Health Information (PHI), on their networks, makes healthcare providers an appealing target. In addition, a successful breach can generate millions of dollars for cybercriminals on the Dark Web. Continue reading