A groundbreaking survey by the American Medical Association (AMA) found that 83% of U.S. physicians have experienced cyberattacks, highlighting the urgent need for improved healthcare cybersecurity. Among the 1,300 physicians surveyed in the December 2017 AMA report, many expressed dissatisfaction with federal support in protecting their practices and patient data.
The survey revealed that three-quarters of physicians were most concerned about business disruptions and compromised electronic health records, while nearly two-thirds reported losing up to four hours of productivity following a breach. Alarmingly, 12% lost one to two full days of work.
As shown in the chart below, phishing and malware attacks were the most common threats targeting physician offices, followed by insider threats.
Who provides cybersecurity training for physicians and their office staff? According to the AMA survey, nearly 40% of physicians rely on their Health IT vendor to deliver security awareness training, while 25% hire lawyers or other third-party experts to develop this content.
These findings underscore why physicians are increasingly concerned about protecting their practices and patient data. Many report a strong need for Medical Cyberattacks knowledge and guidance in creating effective strategies and plans to prevent future cyberattacks.
Mitigating Internal and Vendor Threats in Healthcare Cybersecurity
In addition to external cyber threats, physicians and hospital administrators must be vigilant against internal risks. Whether it’s a small two-person practice or a major metropolitan hospital, medical organizations need to carefully vet external vendors who access critical systems, from IT and networking to HVAC services. Understanding and regulating vendor access controls ensures that sensitive patient data remains secure and is only available to those who require it for their operations.
RSI Security’s HIPAA compliance consultants have supported both small and large medical organizations in meeting HIPAA requirements. Our team helps design customized healthcare cybersecurity plans tailored to each organization, providing continuous compliance through managed services.
We also implement security training and awareness programs that simulate phishing and malware attacks, creating opportunities to review performance and identify areas for improvement. Our Content Filtering services complement this training by proactively blocking access to malicious sites and links.
Medical offices are busy environments, whether managing patient care or updating electronic medical records (EMRs). It’s understandable that staff may not scrutinize every email, link, or macro they encounter, but it only takes one click to trigger ransomware, potentially locking critical workstations or entire networks and disrupting operations.
Partnering with RSI Security ensures your medical practice is protected against cyber threats, allowing you to focus on your most important priority: providing quality patient car
Get Your Healthcare Cybersecurity Risk Report
Hackers don’t rest, and neither should your medical practice. Identify potential cybersecurity weaknesses before they can be exploited, Protect your practice, safeguard patient data, and strengthen your Medical Cyberattacks with expert guidance from RSI Security.
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