- Apr 28, 2017
Top 5 Healthcare Security Challenges that Needs Attention
As an overall impression, digitalization seems to have a positive influence on the healthcare industry, contributing towards the creation of an improved and advanced healthcare system. On the one hand, the introduction of electronic health records (EHRs) has led towards an increase in organizational efficiency and better patient care facilities, but on the contrary, it put patient data and other sensitive information at risk. Incidents of security breaches to steal electronic medical records have increased tremendously in the recent past, compelling healthcare providers to worry about the present scenario.
Although digitalization has made healthcare a patient-centred industry, it has invited threat against the safety of valuable medical data. The situation is alarming, and healthcare organizations need to pay attention towards it before it’s too late for them. Also, healthcare providers are under the constant scrutiny of strict disciplinary and compliance monitoring authorities. Hence, any carelessness on their part in protecting data may end up getting them fined or even in legal trouble.
Let’s walk through five of the critical security challenges that you as a healthcare business might have been negligent about all these years. So, here is your time to take healthcare security seriously and keep in mind the below points.
Healthcare Data Breaches
No matter which the industry we are dealing with, data breaches are very common in all. The healthcare industry is highly prone to data breaches because of the circulation of sensitive data is more in this sector as compared to the rest. Due to budget restraints and slow adoption of technological advancements, the medical industry has been vulnerable to security challenges right from the beginning with digitalization making it even worse.
Hence, healthcare companies need to take immediate measures against healthcare data breaches or else the damage will be beyond their control. They need to adopt a risk-based approach to deal with these challenges.
Lack of Comprehensive Compliant Defense System
With every passing day, hackers and their techniques are getting more advanced creating the need for healthcare organizations to come out of their comfort zone and adopt some rigorous strategy to prevent it. Rather than dealing with a particular security breach, healthcare providers must aim for the development of comprehensive defense system in adherence to compliance guidelines to protect the overall establishment.
Side-effects of Hyper-connectivity
The word hyper-connectivity offered healthcare industry the path breaking change that it has been aiming for since a long time. Connectivity of patients, hospitals, healthcare professionals, and others from the industry to some technology or device has given a decisive blow to the overall improvement of the sector at large. Be it consulting the physician, booking an appointment with the doctor, ordering medicines or checking test reports online, hyper-connectivity made it available on the comfort of a click. But, it also made patient records vulnerable to security threats.
Cloud Indulgence is Threatening
Cloud migration is a common phenomenon nowadays. Hence, even the medical industry not away from its influence. Adoption of EHR is a prominent example of how healthcare providers are increasingly using cloud technologies to record and maintain patient data. But the question here is, are these valuable data secured? Perhaps in most of the cases of security breaches, it has been proved that the protection of this sensitive information are not up to the mark as they should be. Hence, proper safety measures need to be taken by healthcare organizations while transitioning to cloud-based technologies.
Risk of Cyber Threats
In this computer age, adoption of new medical devices, mobile and digital technology to improve patient care and healthcare services has led to the rise of cyber threats. By leveraging an advanced, up-to-date and multi-layered security system, healthcare companies can ensure safety and protection of medical data from cyber threats. Hence, as next-gen healthcare professionals, it is your duty and liability to address security challenges threatening the healthcare business and find out efficient strategies to keep healthcare data secured from going into wrong hands.
Not secured your medical records yet? It’s time you do it right away!
