A new report from Black Book Market Research indicates that data breaches in the healthcare industry could triple in 2021. The report, titled “The State of the Cybersecurity Industry 2020,” is based on a survey of 2,464 security professionals from 705 service organizations. Survey participants were asked to identify gaps, vulnerabilities, and security that make hospitals and physicians a target for hackers in cyberattacks.
The survey results show that 1,500 healthcare providers are vulnerable to data breaches of 500 or more records, representing a 300% increase in 2020. Additionally, approximately 75% of healthcare systems, hospitals and organizations operating in the healthcare sector reported that their infrastructure is not prepared to respond to malicious attacks. Also, 96% of them indicated that they are at a disadvantage against hackers who attack them.
According to further research by Black Book Market Research of 290 healthcare HR executives, the lack of talent and expertise among healthcare cybersecurity professionals is a key factor paving the way for data breaches and other cyberattacks in the industry. The researchers found that cybersecurity roles in healthcare systems take an average of 70% longer to fill than other IT jobs.
Brian Locastro, lead researcher for the2020 Healthcare Cybersecurity Report, said the healthcare industry's response to ransomware attacks is fueling more such attacks by hackers. Specifically, he noted that the willingness of hospitals and doctors to pay high ransoms to recover their stolen data quickly is motivating hackers to focus on patient records.
The survey of security professionals found that 75% of 66 healthcare CISO respondents agreed that experienced cybersecurity professionals were unlikely to pursue careers in the healthcare industry. This is because healthcare CISOs, more than in other industries, are held accountable for data breaches and their impact on an organization’s financial health and reputation, while having extremely limited authority over decision-making, technology, or policy.
In addition, the study revealed that 90% of healthcare system and hospital employees currently working remotely due to the COVID-19have not received the necessary security instructions or adequate training on how to prevent from accessing sensitive and confidential patient data.
