Personal health information is sensitive data that many organizations are responsible for protecting (from the health care provider to the payer, to the device manufactures that support the delivery of your medical services). Not all of these organizations have implemented appropriate practices to protect this information, so the Department of Health and Human Services undertook an effort to identify ways health care organizations can achieve these goals. The task force recently published their results and Protiviti has summarized the key take-aways. Here is a brief synopsis:
On June 2, the Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force, established by Congress, issued a draft of its Report on Improving Cybersecurity in the Health Care Industry, an analysis of how to strengthen patient safety and data security in an increasingly interconnected world. For industry outsiders, the contents of the report (which summarizes the state of cybersecurity to be in “critical condition”) are likely to result in shock and a sense of urgency for improving cybersecurity in this critical sector. For those within the industry, the report offers a preview of potential future government regulatory action and areas that should receive additional focus.
From my perspective, none of the task force’s findings are surprising. The results highlight the need for forward-looking practices with security being a proactive consideration.
Read more and download the Flash Report here.
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