Healthcare cybersecurity earns B+, but vulnerabilities remain

Editor's Note

Although SecurityScorecard gave the US healthcare a “better than expected” B+ rating for cybersecurity in 2024, the supply chain cybersecurity firm also highlighted significant risks in application and endpoint security, HealthcareIT News reported June 25.  

Overall, 35% of third-party data breaches in 2023 affected healthcare organizations, the outlet reports. Since 2022, 55% of healthcare organizations have experienced breaches.  

Examining breach history and security ratings of the 500 largest publicly traded healthcare companies, the firm’s Cyber Risk Landscape of the U.S. Healthcare Industry study found that 9% had a either a breach in the past year or evidence of a compromised machine in the past 30 days, with many reporting both.    

The report also highlighted the widespread impact of ransomware across all healthcare sectors and other risks from third-party platforms, vendors, and outsourced functions.