(Newswire.net — December 31, 2020) —
Your personal information has never been more vulnerable as more and more of it is being tracked and logged in one way or another. While it is convenient to have all of this information available with a few keystrokes, it also means that it is at risk from cybercriminals and hackers. Security breaches and system lockdowns are happening more than ever before.
The health industry seems to be one of the biggest targets for data thieves, as the amount of personal information they store can be substantial. When you think about the information your chosen hospital would have about you, it makes sense that criminals would target it. It is time for the industry, as a whole, to step up its security and keep its data better protected.
Why the Health Industry?
This sector is not the only one being targeted by criminals daily. Anyone with information can be a victim. The health industry is such a large target because of the sheer volume of personal information available and its quality. Health centers will have everything from medical histories, to addresses and phone numbers, to insurance and credit card information.
There is no wonder criminals are consistently going after hospitals and their networks; the data is valuable. These systems will be put on some form of lockdown and have a cryptocurrency ransom asked for. Whether the hackers get the ransom or the data, they can still profit either way. These types of breaches could cause significant issues for thousands, if not millions, of patients.
What Can Hospitals Do?
When it comes to protecting their systems, hospitals can certainly do a lot to give themselves the advantage. The main issue is not having enough security, to begin with, as networking and security may not be a top priority at a hospital. This type of mindset needs to change to keep these breaches from happening.
Hospital IT departments need to have better funding and training to keep up with evolving threats. It starts with having enough resources available and hiring the right experts to design and implement the security. There are countless privacy apps and security tools that can be utilized. For example, a VPN can be very beneficial because it secures your internet connection. A high-quality VPN such as NordVPN is one of the best tools if you want to protect sensitive data.
What Are They Risking?
It should be apparent how much is at risk if the healthcare industry doesn’t start changing its security tactics. There are reports every week of hospitals being taken over by malware or other means. It could end up costing the industry billions of dollars. While the sheer financial consequences should be motivation enough, there is another reason they must be proactive.
People are already afraid to trust people with their personal information. With the news keeping people on edge with reports of the latest privacy breaches, things could get worse. If their patients don’t trust them enough to use their services due to privacy concerns, it could end up costing a lot more than they could bargain for.
Encryption is Essential
If you are looking to ensure that your private data and information are not stolen by others and used, the first thing you must do is encrypt it. There are numerous ways that you can encrypt data, with different methods having various levels of security. When it comes to personal information, such as the information stored in hospital records, it is essential to keep it secure with this technology.
Hospitals need to invest in top-of-the-line encryption technology as a measure to keep their customers safe, even if there is a system breach. If the data is encrypted, the hackers will not be able to utilize it even if they have access to the network. This alone can do a lot to deter further attacks in the future.
Separate Networks
Hospitals and everywhere else these days are going to have wireless internet access for their patients and customers. It is almost a basic need in our society, and these networks need to be kept safe. The institutions must make sure to keep public wireless networks separated from private hospital ones by using subnetworks. This will ensure that security is maintained on the ones that transmit more personal and confidential information.
There is Work to Do
The industry is still struggling to get a hold of these attacks from cybercriminals, but it is slowly starting to change. Regardless of the amount of money and security these places institute, hackers will always be after them. It is up to the healthcare industry to improve security, as privacy is becoming a major concern throughout the country.