Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, ransomware has been one of the cyberthreats that has gotten worse. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry is a ransomware soft target. Numerous hackers extort hospitals by threatening the security of their patient data by targeting this industry.
According to a report by Deloitte, the growing popularity of ransomware is also due to the increasing number of internet-connected medical devices. It is estimated that by 2023, more than 70 percent of devices will be connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, creating security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.
According to the report, hospitals in Southeast Asia, such as those in Indonesia and Thailand, are also vulnerable to cybercrimes such as ransomware. Therefore, all health institutions are strongly encouraged to immediately implement a cybersecurity strategy to ensure that patient data and other sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands.
Consequently, this article will discuss how vital it is for the healthcare industry to protect patient data and what types of ransomware protections health institutions need. Please read it in its entirety below.
How bad is the Patient Data Security Problem in Hospitals?
Patient data security issues in hospitals
According to the PWC report, cybercriminals view the healthcare industry as a prime target for ransomware attacks. This industry has become a swamp containing a plethora of sensitive and important data on hospital patients that can be exploited and traded in dangerous ways.
One of the most severe ransomware attacks occurred at CommonSpirit Health, which manages 1,000 treatment clinics and 140 hospitals across the United States. Recently, ransomware infiltrated CommonSpirit Health’s IT system, resulting in inaccessible data on hospital computers.
In addition, ransomware disrupts hospital operations because nurses and physicians require additional time to examine and serve patients. Ironically, one patient’s surgery was even delayed, while the other was unable to undergo a CT scan and had already suffered a brain hemorrhage.
The above case from CommonSpirit Health is a small “illustration” of how chaotic hospital operations become when ransomware is present. The number of hospitals exposed to ransomware has increased by more than 94 percent compared to last year, according to The Guardian’s website. Imagine if tens of thousands of hospitals and other organizations in the health industry were affected by the same event.
What are the Health Industry’s Obstacles to Patient Data Security?
health industry challenges in protecting patient data security
If ransomware has infiltrated the hospital’s IT infrastructure, the situation will become more chaotic and present difficult-to-manage conflicts and obstacles. The following risks and difficulties could potentially be encountered.
1. All Data are Vulnerable
Important patient information, such as medical history, will be increasingly at risk. All of this sensitive information will be extracted using data mining techniques and sold to irresponsible parties.
2. Disturbed Patient Activity
If it is interrupted by a hacker, the entire patient’s activity schedule will be disrupted, including the surgery schedule.
3. Patient Safety
Hackers will demand a ransom from the hospital, threatening the patient’s safety as the hospital will lose the patient’s data and medical history if the ransom is not paid. In addition, there is no assurance that the retrieved data will be returned.
4. Damaging Reputation
The hospital’s reputation is automatically jeopardized because the public believes the IT system is susceptible to hackers infiltrating it and compromising patient data privacy.
What are the Solutions to Prevent Cyberattacks on Patient Data Security?
After understanding the aforementioned challenges, hospitals must implement a cybersecurity strategy with the following four security frameworks: predict, prevent, detect, and respond. In this instance, the Network Security division of Helios Informatika Nusantara will provide any IT solutions incorporating these four frameworks.
1. Sangfor
During the Detect and Prevent phases, you can use Sangfor’s firewall and endpoint security solutions as a “first line of defense” to protect patient data from cyber attacks. Then, during the Predict and Response phase, you can add a Network Detection and Response (NDR) solution.
2. Cloudflare
With Cloudflare’s WAF (Web Application Firewall) and Zero Trust solutions, you can protect incoming and outgoing data access and filter incoming and outgoing web application data traffic.
3. Darktrace
Additionally, you can optimize the predict and response phases with the Darktrace NDR solution, which utilizes artificial intelligence to predict hacker behavior patterns and respond to attacks so as to minimize business impact time.
Read more : Waspada, Industri Kesehatan Rentan Jadi Target Ransomware di Era Pandemi
Helios as a Digital IT Solutions Provider for the Health Industry in Indonesia
It’s time to safeguard the privacy of your hospital’s patient data with a variety of IT solutions from Helios. Get Sangfor, Cloudflare, and Darktrace solutions from Helios, the third IT distributor in Indonesia offering value-added services.
Helios has experienced IT professionals available to assist businesses in implementing their IT solutions. Helios will also assist you in implementing these three solutions, beginning with consultation, deployment, and ongoing support. A certified Helios IT professional team will help you avoid trial and error.
Contact us via Helios WhatsApp or visit this page for more information regarding Sangfor, Cloudflare, and Darktrace.
Penulis: Jeko Iqbal Reza
Content Writer CTI Group
