With the rise of advanced technologies like big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing, the world has transitioned to using remote medical services. Although highly convenient, such a trend has resulted in many healthcare software data security threats. Below, we have briefly described the top-six data security challenges in the healthcare industry.
Issues with Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Since healthcare organizations store patients’ sensitive data digitally, it risks exposure. Constella’s 2021 Identity Breach Report, “the number of compromised EHRs doubled from 2019 to 2021.” The key ways to get these records are phishing, data breach, or a third-party system fragility during health information exchange (HIE).
Using Outdated Software
When utilizing outdated software tools in your clinic, you may face a loophole in your healthcare product security system. That is because software vendors support only the latest versions of their products. Therefore, they offer no security patches for older versions, which increases the possibility of system vulnerabilities.
Ransomware Attacks
The most common goal of ransomware attacks is to return the information after getting the required payment. But many cybercriminals also promise to expose the stolen patient data if they won’t receive the ransom payment. That puts the healthcare provider’s reputation and the patient’s identity at risk.
User Errors & Insider Threats
Sending sensitive patient-related data via email or text messages provokes a significant security threat. At the same time, storing the information on personal devices and transmitting it via public Wi-Fi also allows cybercriminals to access it easily. So, it is crucial to provide staff and patients with regular training on dealing with medical records.
Growing Use of Telehealth & Mobile Healthcare Apps
Unfortunately, patients often ignore basic security measures such as activating multi-factor authentication or creating a solid password. Besides, they can use healthcare apps when connecting to unprotected networks. That allows hackers to steal patient data, including payment details.
Cloud and IoT Vulnerabilities
Over 50% of healthcare companies report they have recently experienced an IoT-related security incident. Since the data traveling between devices and servers is typically encrypted on the go, your system is prone to different third-party attacks. After all, inappropriate cloud computing configurations can also lead to data security breaches.
But how to effectively ensure data security in your healthcare system? Read our article to find the answers.
