While business is broadly named and has the highest number of data breaches, the next most attacked vertical is healthcare and medical. Why does healthcare continue to top the most targeted list?

Simply put, this information-intensive industry is a frequent target for its stores of data.

What healthcare data is desirable?

Not only can hackers access a treasure trove of personal data, including highly coveted identifying information, there’s also the financial data surrounding payments, insurance information and Medicare and Medicaid data.

It’s absolutely necessary that healthcare entities have their networks and systems locked down to facilitate HIPAA compliance and protect electronic protected health information (ePHI).

Be proactive against internal bad actors

In Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report, healthcare stood out due to the majority of breaches being associated with internal actors.

With internal actors, the main problem is that they have already been granted access to your systems in order to do their jobs.

One problem lies in the retrieval, printing, mailing and storage of documents. Know which processes deliver, publish or dispose of personal or medical information and ensure they include checks so that one mistake doesn’t equate to one breach.

Effectively monitoring and flagging unusual and/or inappropriate access to data that is not necessary for valid business use or required for patient care is a matter of real concern for this vertical.

Know where your major data stores are, limit necessary access, and track all access attempts. Start with monitoring the users who have a lot of access that might not be necessary to perform their jobs, and make a goal of finding any unnecessary lookups.

Move forward with more security

Any industrywide cybersecurity strategy must be effective and comprehensive — i.e., affordable, powerful, convenient, and forward-focused. Implement multiple layers of security, provide rigorous employee training and focus on the weakest points.

If you’re in the healthcare industry and need advice about the best way to protect your data, Cyber Solutions Technologies can help. Contact us today for an expert consultation.

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