Ever wondered about the safety of your medical records online? In a world where all your medical information can be accessed by just clicking some buttons, its security should be considered. Sadly, the peril of healthcare data breaches remains imminent despite scientific strides made so far. This blog will explore what a “next-gen healthcare data breach” means, including real incidents and practical solutions.
Next-Gen Healthcare Data Breach Explained
A healthcare data breach that belongs to the next generation brings about pilferage or access to personal and medical details using advanced technologies meant for safeguarding such data. The use of electronic health records alongside other web-based services results in additional areas in which hackers can carry out their operations. Phishing attacks, malware as well as insider threats amongst other things may lead to such leaking.
These hacking cases have a big influence because they can make you lose your stuff and it break trust between clients who need medical help and the specialists themselves who provide such services. Imagine how terrifying it is when you realize that your medical records are likely to be bought from illegal online markets or employed in carrying out identity crimes against unsuspecting individuals. Additionally, it’s not just about fines on those who work in the health sector as they also get lawsuits slapped on them hence ruining their names forever.
Next Gen Healthcare Data Breach Incidents & Solutions
Over the past few years, several high-profile data breaches have made headlines, underlining the ongoing struggle to secure health information.
Incident #1: Anthem Inc.
Approximately 80 million people had their personal information stolen in a cyber-attack on Anthem Inc., a major health insurer in the United States in February 2015. The healthcare industry has experienced few data breaches of this scope previously. The criminals managed also to crack some workers’ mail passwords which let them enter the insurer’s confidential server base (Anthem). Names (such as first name and initial), birthdays (that an individual used when creating an account), and medical record numbers like SSN would be found among these details as well as other things from the envelope of an EHR system if any existed at all.
Solutions Implemented
Anthem took several steps to strengthen its cybersecurity and prevent future incidents in response to this massive data breach, such as:
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Anthem introduced multi-factor authentication (MFA) across their networks to enhance security. This additional protective measure involves not just a password and username but also requires something that the user physically possesses, such as a unique piece of information or a physical token, ensuring an extra layer of security.
- Encryption: Anthem enhanced data encryption at rest and in transit, heightening the difficulty for unauthorized individuals to access the data, even if they managed to bypass other security barriers.
- Settlement and Compensation: Anthem consented to a settlement amounting to $115 million to address lawsuit expenses and offered two years of complimentary identity theft protection services and credit monitoring to those impacted.
- Cybersecurity Education: The company also invested in extensive cybersecurity training for its staff to help them identify and manage the risks of phishing and other types of cyber-attacks.
Incident #2: Florida Healthy Kids Corporation
As of January 2021, Florida Healthy Kids Corporation (FHKC) disclosed a data breach of a 7-year duration from 2013-2020. Investigations revealed that it was caused by a hacked web hosting platform owned by one of their vendors. This information included personal identities like names, dates of birth, social security numbers as well as addresses, and other pertinent details.
Solutions Implemented
- Vendor Management: Following the breach, Florida Healthy Kids ended their relationship with the affected vendor and transitioned to a more secure platform with rigorous security controls.
- Security Overhaul: The organization overhauled its security measures, implementing stronger data access and encryption controls.
- Transparency and Communication: They communicated openly with affected individuals and regulators, providing regular updates on remedial actions and offering free credit monitoring services to protect the affected individuals from potential identity theft.
Incident #3: CommonSpirit Health
In 2023, CommonSpirit Health, one of America’s largest charitable hospitals was widely reported to be under a significant ransomware attack. A lot of damage was caused by the cyber assault on several of its facilities including interrupting medical services provided for clients as well as accessing e-health records. The occurrence brought into sharp focus some weaknesses inherent within medical IT systems and underscored just how essential data security is.
Solutions Implemented
- Network Segmentation: Post-attack, CommonSpirit enhanced its network segmentation to isolate critical network segments and reduce the impact of potential future breaches.
- Enhanced Monitoring: They implemented advanced monitoring tools to quickly detect and respond to suspicious activities.
- Community Outreach: The organization informed the public regularly about restoring services and protecting patient data.
Incident #4: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center reported that they had experienced a data breach in early 2023 which affected approximately 1,500 patient records. The breach happened because an unauthorized person got them from accessing the private details of some of the staff’s emails via phishing attacks. The information includes names alongside phone numbers used from when one was born up until today.
Solutions Implemented
- Employee Training: In response, Cedars-Sinai increased its investment in cybersecurity training for employees to prevent future phishing incidents.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): The hospital implemented two-factor authentication for all email accounts to add an extra layer of security.
- Incident Response Plan: Cedars-Sinai updated its incident response plan to handle potential data breaches effectively.
Incident #5: Yuma Regional Medical Center
The last incident we reported took place on April 23, 2023, at the Yuma Regional Medical Centre in Arizona. As per the report, approximately seven hundred thousand people were affected by a data intrusion. A skilled cyberattack was the cause of the intrusion whereby intruders took advantage of security holes within hospital networks to enter personal and medical data systems without permission.
Solutions Implemented:
- Advanced Security Infrastructure: Following the breach, the center upgraded its security infrastructure to include more sophisticated cybersecurity technologies.
- Regular Security Assessments: Yuma Regional is committed to regular security assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities.
- Enhanced Patient Communication: They improved communication channels to inform patients about their data security and the measures to protect it.
Final Thoughts
Data breaches create a learning environment for us about threats and proper methods of rectifying these. The continued need for stronger security measures is also observed in the same incidents. If medical practitioners know this and come up with strong solutions, it would help in avoiding similar incidents from happening again such that both the doctors, as well as the public, remain secure.
To significantly strengthen these efforts, you can obtain your own White Label VPN. Healthcare institutions are provided with a special VPN solution by PureWL which makes sure that communication is transmitted securely and is confidential. Such features as military-grade encryption, secure remote access, and obfuscation of internet traffic are characteristic of PureWL in particular because it is tailor-made to satisfy the stringent requirements concerning security in healthcare.