Cybersecurity in Healthcare: 7 Challenges & 10 Best Practices in 2024

Cyber threats directly impact patient care, safety, and trust in healthcare institutions. As a healthcare leader, you know firsthand how data breaches derail operations and undermine your organization‘s core mission.

In our digitally driven world, cybersecurity is now a front-and-center concern for healthcare. Ransomware attacks increased 93% in 2021, while cyber incidents at health delivery organizations jumped 74% year over year according to Check Point research.

IBM and Ponemon‘s Cost of a Data Breach Report reveals the healthcare industry now faces the highest data breach costs across all sectors — an alarming $10.1 million per incident on average. Despite heightened risks, healthcare continues to lag in cybersecurity.

In this article, I‘ll walk you through exactly why cybersecurity matters for healthcare, critical challenges you face, emerging threat trends to watch, and the 10 best practices you can implement now to protect your organization. I‘ll also outline key steps to take as you look to improve cybersecurity maturity and resilience. My goal is to provide actionable guidance to safeguard your data, devices, systems and — most importantly — patient safety.

Why Cybersecurity is a Healthcare Priority

You don‘t need conviction of the importance of cybersecurity — current threats make it abundantly clear. But it‘s still helpful to review exactly why robust cyber defenses are imperative for healthcare organizations.

Maintaining Patient Trust

Without data security, patients won‘t trust you with sensitive information — and may avoid seeking care. Breaches frequently expose protected health information (PHI), like medical histories and insurance details. HHS investigated over 450 healthcare cyber incidents in 2022, each exposing 500+ individuals‘ PHI.

Patients expect their data to remain private and secure. Failing to provide that exposes them to fraud and identity theft. Effective security preserves patient trust and your reputation.

Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure

In October 2022, a cyber attack forced healthcare giant UCHealth to take systems offline, diverting ambulances and delaying lab results for patients. Cyber incidents can literally put lives at risk by disrupting operations.

Strong perimeter defenses, segmentation and endpoint security help prevent outages. You maintain patient safety and continuity of care delivery.

Avoiding Crippling Financial Loss

The average healthcare breach costs $10.1 million according to IBM and Ponemon research. But fast response and resilience can reduce total costs significantly. The Memorial Health System 2021 ransomware attack took 700 applications and systems offline, yet rapid reaction held financial impacts under $10 million.

Proactive cybersecurity lowers your risk of expensive regulatory fines, legal liabilities and brand damage. It‘s far more costly to manage an incident than prevent one entirely.

Meeting Regulatory Requirements

Various regulations require healthcare organizations safeguard patient data and shore up defenses. Noncompliance with HIPAA can trigger fines from $100 to $50,000 per violation record, with yearly maximums as high as $1.5 million.

Staying on the right side of regulators through cybersecurity best practices ensures no penalties that further impact the bottom line.

Addressing the Threat Landscape

Threats like ransomware and social engineering attacks continue accelerating. From 2020 to 2021, reported ransomware attacks on healthcare delivery organizations increased by 94.4% according to the FBI. Tactics are also growing more sophisticated.

Proactive monitoring, information sharing, and continuous security enhancement lets you adapt to emerging threats. Cybersecurity fuels resilience.

You face immense pressure safeguarding patient health information, critical systems, infrastructure and lives from continuously evolving threats. The stakes could not be higher. Now let‘s examine key obstacles in building strong healthcare security programs.

Top Cybersecurity Challenges for Healthcare

While the need for cybersecurity is clear, healthcare organizations face unique roadblocks in implementation. Understanding these obstacles allows you to overcome them through appropriate policies, budget allocation and executive buy-in. Key challenges include:

Constrained Security Budgets

Research shows healthcare security budgets fail to match rising risk levels. Per 2021 HIMSS data, 29% of U.S. healthcare groups allocate just 1-2% of their total IT budget to cybersecurity. Another 22% assign only 2-3% of their IT budget to security.

Limited cybersecurity spending translates to gaps in skilled staff, modern systems, and robust data protections. Budget pressures contribute to outdated technology and inadequate controls.

Prioritizing Availability and Access

Delivering patient care necessitates 24/7 system availability and high accessibility to data. But practices like taking systems offline to patch vulnerabilities can disrupt operations.

You must balance security with constant uptime requirements. The need for nonstop access often takes priority, opening exposure.

Outdated Systems and Devices

Many healthcare organizations still utilize legacy systems and medical devices lacking modern security controls like encryption. Yet rapidly replacing these technologies is cost prohibitive.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society estimates only 64% of U.S. hospitals have fully modernized and protected electronic health records. Legacy platforms with weak defenses expand the threat landscape.

Rising Social Engineering Threats

Social engineering attacks manipulate trusted insiders through tactics like phishing emails. In Q3 2022, phishing was linked to 71% of reported healthcare data breaches.

Despite training, busy or distracted staff may still fall victim. Policies limiting internet and email access can hamper productivity. Users present a prime weakness.

Difficulty Managing Third Parties

You rely extensively on third-party partners, yet have little visibility or control over their security. Weak links anywhere in the chain can create openings for threat actors.

Rigorously assessing partners‘ defenses and imposing security contract requirements helps close gaps. But you have finite time and resources. Third parties expand your risk surface.

You face an uphill battle, but one well worth winning. Now let‘s explore steps you can take to implement effective security controls and programs.

10 Healthcare Cybersecurity Best Practices

Through close collaboration with clinical, technology and executive leaders, you can implement robust cybersecurity programs. Core strategies include:

1. Perform Ongoing Risk Assessments

Make risk evaluation a regular process through techniques like vulnerability scanning, threat modeling and penetration testing. Maintain a continuously updated risk framework reflecting your current security posture.

2. Secure Endpoints and Devices

Install endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools offering visibility into threats across your environment‘s servers, desktops, medical equipment and mobile devices. Require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for system access.

3. Patch Actively

Have a centralized view into devices and software requiring updates. Quickly patch known vulnerabilities using a risk-based approach focused on the most critical first. Automate patching where possible.

4. Segment Your Network

Use firewalls and access controls to isolate systems, like picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), holding sensitive clinical data. Limit lateral movement after breaches by restricting communication between segments.

5. Encrypt Data

Protect patient information and other sensitive data through encryption both at rest and in transit. For data at rest, implement encrypted storage systems, databases and backup media.

6. Control Access

Issue unique identities through technologies like single sign-on (SSO). Enforce least privilege and role-based access policies restricting users to only the data and resources necessary for their role.

7. Monitor Proactively

Deploy tools like intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) performing deep packet inspection to identify threats in network traffic. Feed threat intelligence into security information and event management (SIEM) for correlation.

8. Train Your Staff Continuously

Conduct security awareness training upon hiring then require it at least annually. Include guidance on social engineering red flags like suspicious emails. Send simulated phishing attempts to reinforce learning and preparedness.

9. Manage Third-Party Risks

Vet partners‘ and vendors‘ security measures through audits and assurance questionnaires. Incorporate security requirements into contracts. Limit third-party access to your environment. Require partners immediately disclose incidents.

10. Prepare Incident Response Plans

Develop playbooks, roles and procedures for quickly detecting, containing and remediating cyber attacks. Schedule tabletop exercises to validate effectiveness. Engage external resources you can call on for surge capacity.

Now let‘s explore key steps to implement as you look to enhance healthcare data and infrastructure security.

Building Your Healthcare Cybersecurity Program

Improving cybersecurity requires an organization-wide effort with involvement across departments and management levels. Critical steps include:

Conduct Security Maturity Assessments

Gauge your current security strengths and weaknesses through assessments evaluating controls, policy, technology infrastructure, training and incident preparedness.

Perform Regulatory Gap Analysis

Compare security policies and protections versus required controls under regulations like HIPAA. Identify gaps driving compliance, financial and operational risk.

Develop Strategic Security Plans

Create milestone-driven security roadmaps addressing high-risk vulnerability areas first. Tie cybersecurity objectives to overall organizational strategy and priorities.

Implement Security Frameworks

Leverage recognized frameworks like HITRUST and NIST to guide control selection, implementation and process development.

Increase Security Staffing and Skills

Given talent gaps, leverage managed security providers for threat monitoring. Develop in-house staff skills via partnerships with education centers.

Test Incident Response Readiness

Evaluate detection, escalation, communication and recovery procedures through simulated cyber attacks. Derive post-exercise enhancements to preparedness.

Monitor Threat Landscape

Stay updated on emerging threats, regulatory changes and lessons learned from breaches through intelligence sharing groups like NH-ISAC. Adapt defenses accordingly.

Report on Progress

Share security metrics, risk reductions and milestone achievement with leadership and governance bodies. Maintain engagement through regular updates.

Sustain Security as a Priority

Reinforce that cybersecurity requires persistent focus and investment. Maintain executive commitment through continuous risk management and response readiness.

By taking these steps to implement security best practices, modernize defenses and enhance resilience, you reinforce cyber protections for patient data, systems and infrastructure. Patients‘ wellbeing depends on it.

Reach out if you need assistance improving healthcare cybersecurity. I‘m here to help.