Data is the new currency, and few pieces of data are as lucrative as someone’s healthcare information. It details everything from SSNs to birth dates and everything else someone else might need to impersonate them. Consequently, healthcare facilities are now regularly targeted via the tech companies they work with. These are some of the common healthcare cybersecurity threats that insurance agents should look out for.
Integration
Even small medical facilities now tend to have electronic sign-in processes. Yet, patients could sign in at the family medicine section and have to do it all again when they visit the lab for blood work. This is because healthcare facilities are still plagued by information silos that can lead to duplication and misplaced files.
Physical Security
When healthcare facilities rely on physical forms of recording and managing patient data, these hard copies could pose a threat. Workers might not dispose of them properly, or patients could end up losing this information in the parking lot. Ironically, even companies with sound electronic systems tend to print patient data for the doctor’s review.
Third-Party Healthcare Technology
In the modern-day business era, few businesses are still trying to do everything. Instead, they outsource administrative tasks so they can focus on what they do best. In the case of healthcare facilities, they might contract with tech companies to store, analyze and protect data. While tech companies will likely do a better job than the health care facilities, it does make tech companies high-profile targets.
Open WiFi
Not everyone has a strong data connection or WiFi at home. Consequently, patients might feel tempted to complete online check-ins on public WiFi. The healthcare facility might also have public WiFi to keep patients occupied while they wait. This, too, can create vulnerabilities when patients use the public WiFi to access personal information or even their patient account on the facility’s website.
BackUps
If a hacker held your clients’ business hostage, would they have the data backed up so they could avoid paying the ransom? Without frequent and regular backups, it becomes easier for hackers to hold patient data hostage and demand a price that the healthcare facility might not even be able to pay without taking on significant debt.
The Bottom Line
There is no foolproof plan to protect any business from hackers. Whether the business has nothing online or everything in the cloud, data can become compromised. Even so, with the right tools, insurance agents can guide their clients toward better risk management and continued growth. This, in turn, protects the insurance company from additional risk.
At Connected Risk Solutions, we provide those tools for the insurers of healthcare facilities in major cities around the world. Contact us for a quote.
About Connected Risk Solutions
At Connected Risk Solutions, we use our expertise and experience to provide insurance information and programs to those who serve long-term care and senior living facilities. Since 2007, we’ve been offering insurance and risk management plans designed to help our agents give their clients the ability to achieve continued growth while simultaneously protecting against loss, containing costs and increasing profitability. With three offices to serve you in Chicago, Illinois; Phoenix, Arizona; and Burlington, Connecticut, we do everything we can to make your experience with us as professional and transparent as possible. To learn more, contact us at (877) 890-9301.
