Today, cybersecurity healthcare is a global concern. Of course, every industry should have robust security.
But, healthcare should be on the frontline. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in real life.
Read on to learn more.
Why Cybersecurity Healthcare
Cyber incidents bring great damage to all industries. In businesses, it means they can’t operate. But in healthcare, it can put lives at risk.
Last year, we receive a report of the first cyber attack-related death. Ransomware hit a hospital in Germany in September 2020.
So, they weren’t able to receive emergency patients because of the shutdown. An old woman had to be sent to a hospital in another city.
And yet she needed immediate care because of an aneurysm. But, she did not survive the travel.
We can see how crippling an attack can be. And this has been happening for many years.
Since then until now, healthcare is one of the biggest targets of cybercriminals. The reason? Healthcare data are worth a lot of money.
Hackers will steal patient information. And they could sell it on the dark web for thousands of dollars.
Surely, healthcare knows about this. Yet most of them are still not prepared. It even lags behind other industries.
Experts expect that attacks will continue to rise. In this article, we will consider the top predictions of cybersecurity healthcare in 2021.
Cybersecurity Healthcare Predictions 2021 Update
Attack on COVID-19 vaccine and drug developers
There are a lot of major threats in the industry. But, the major threat is related to the vaccine.
Many hackers will try to get sensitive and confidential data related to the drug. We also hear news about pharmaceutical companies experiencing fraudulent transactions.
So, the healthcare industry is fighting two global concerns: the pandemic and the targeted attacks.
Cloud-enabled patient data leaks
Experts also predict more incidents related to data breaches. In particular, we will witness leaked patient data from the cloud.
Today, a lot of hospitals use the cloud. So, they can easily create and manage large volumes of data.
But, it also poses security risks. While it makes data accessible to doctors, hackers also find it more accessible to hack.
Medical device cybersecurity healthcare regulations
Many hospitals also started to rely on Internet-connected devices. For example, infusion pumps, pacemakers, and more.
But, it means that it’s a risk for hackers. Today, hacking these devices is a common cyberattack during the COVID-19 pandemic.
And that’s because many patients also use it for remote care. So, the European Union commands all hospitals to meet the GDPR requirements.
Fake tumors, increasing death rate, and more
The scariest of all may lie ahead. Now, researchers created a computer virus that alters cancer scan images.
This malware is design to fool doctors. So, they can misdiagnose high-profile patients.
It only shows how easy it is to get around security protections for diagnostic equipment.
Reports also state that hospitals facing a data breach can expect to see an increase in the death rate.
If a cyberattack happens in healthcare, it surely is devastating. Health records can be stolen. Life-saving equipment devices can be disrupted.
