Privacy News Why Hackers Love Healthcare

LASER_oneXM

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Feb 4, 2016
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The migration of valuable data to the cloud is piquing the interest of cybercrimimals. But there are ways to fight back.

Much like the rest of the world, healthcare organizations are shifting work to cloud services in order to improve accessibility and patient care. However, the migration of these workloads and moving valuable information such as PHI (personal health information) and PII (personally identifiable information) to the cloud has also led to cybercriminals taking a particular interest in the industry.

The number of ransomware and other malware attacks is rising incredibly fast in the healthcare industry, putting human lives as well as critical data at risk. From 2011 through 2014, the sector — including hospitals, labs, pharmacies, drug companies and outpatient clinics — experienced the highest number of data breaches of all industries. What makes these organizations such a popular target?

1. Highly Valuable Data
One of the key aspects making healthcare organizations a top target is the value of their data. Commonly, a single stolen credit card number yields an average $2,000 profit and quickly becomes worthless. Healthcare data, however, such as PHI or PII, is extremely valuable on the black market.
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2. Lack of IT Investment and Training
Another reason the healthcare industry is popular among cybercriminals is its systematic underinvestment in IT security. Most healthcare organizations spend just 3% of their IT budgets on security, while the SANS Institute — the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certifications — recommends spending at least 10%.
For most healthcare organizations, security is often an afterthought. They don't provide regular cybersecurity training for their employees, which could help reduce insider threats.
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