Editor's Note More than 600 healthcare organizations, including hospitals, practices, and other health facilities, have been affected by a data breach on an accounts receivable management company called Professional Finance Company's network, Becker’s Health IT July 5 reports. The ransomware attack on Professional Finance Company, which provides services to healthcare…
Editor's Note On Friday, June 24, the American Hospital Association (AHA) voiced support for the Protecting and Transforming Cyber Health Care Act (PATCH Act)—legislation that would “require medical device manufacturers to meet certain cybersecurity requirements when seeking approval for devices that are internet connected or include software” in order to…
Editor's Note According to an “electronic health information” release by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), titled “HHS Needs to Improve Communications for Breach Reporting” and published on May 27, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has seen an increase in reported breaches of health information since 2015,…
Editor's Note On June 16, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center published a guidance, titled “Strengthening Cyber Posture in the Health Sector, to help health systems and other healthcare organizations “improve their overall strength, protocols, and prevention abilities for cyberattacks,” Becker’s Health…
Editor's Note According to a report from cybersecurity firm Sophos, titled “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2022” and published in May 2022, ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations have increased by 94% “year over year” globally, Becker’s Health IT June 6 reports. The report includes findings from an “independent, vendor-agnostic…
Editor's Note Juuso Leinonen, principal project engineer at ECRI, an independent nonprofit healthcare research organization, captured OR Business Management Conference attendees with this message: cybersecurity is a patient safety issue. Each year, ECRI produces a list of 10 health technology hazards, and in 2022, cybersecurity attacks topped the list. During…
Editor's Note According to a new report, titled “The State of Security 2022” from Software company Splunk, mass resignations and gaps in staffing may be contributing to cybersecurity companies’ inability to defend against certain cyberattacks, Becker’s Health IT April 25 reports. The report surveyed more than 1,000 cybersecurity leaders across…
Hospitals and health systems know they are attractive targets for cybercriminals. When lives are at stake, and the victims are often insured, ransomware gangs can expect a quick and easy payout. But since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, hospitals have had to face a new reality: The…
Editor's Note In an HC3: Analyst Note alert released on April 18, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a cybersecurity threat warning for a new ransomware group named Hive that HHS called “exceptionally aggressive” and “financially motivated,” Becker’s Health IT April 20 reports. According to the alert,…