Healthcare tops the list for reported breaches on the first half of 2019 for eight top industry categories. See the story here, Top 8 Industries Reporting Data Breaches In The First Half Of 2019. Healthcare tops Retail, Insurance and Finance and Public Administration for this infamous glory.
Despite stringent HIPAA regulations, healthcare companies are constantly getting breached. The sad truth is that most healthcare firms are stretched on resources and talent to properly manage security. Too much this sector is trying to manage this vital task internally when they should be outsourcing to specialty firm who provide better results for lower total costs.
The most effective way to limit these breaches are to do regular vulnerability assessments. Those assessments are certain to show gaps in software patching, amongst other risks. The Wanancry outbreak that hit the healthcare sector so hard is a prime example of missed patches. We all know another one is coming, we just don’t know when.
Don’t be a victim named on the Wall of Shame at CMS. Get your act together and do that vulnerability assessment. Get your systems patched, stay patched and be a hero. Otherwise you risk being the dupe.