Cyberattacks pose a growing threat across all industries, but healthcare is especially vulnerable. In 2023, hacking incidents in the healthcare sector accounted for 79.7% of data breaches.
While patients, providers, and policymakers all have a stake in protecting health information, a critical weak point lies with the technology companies that offer electronic health record (EHR) systems. These systems hold a treasure trove of PHI, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. PHI includes sensitive patient information like names, phone numbers, medical records, email addresses, biometric information, health insurance information, etc.
This is why healthcare organizations need a comprehensive identity governance and administration (IGA) solution to secure their users and access permissions to sensitive data.
The effects of a cyberattack
In February, a leading health insurance company fell prey to a ransomware attack that exposed millions of patient records and disrupted medical claim transactions in the United States. The company, which typically processes around 15 billion transactions a year, has experienced a staggering slowdown in operations over the past few months due to the data hack.
Incidents like these underscore the urgent need to address key questions: How can organizations mitigate cyberattacks and secure PHI? What strategies can decision-makers use to stand tall in the face of cyberthreats?
Leverage HIPAA compliance rules against cyberattacks
Can complying with HIPAA rules mitigate cyberattacks? Yes! HIPAA security rules list out different measures to safeguard patient data, prevent insider threats, and improve your overall cybersecurity posture. A few of the critical HIPAA rules are:
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Implement the CIA triad: Ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of e-PHI handled by your organization in all stages, such as creation and modification, and also while importing or exporting data.
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Uncover and mitigate risks: Conduct regular risk assessments for your Active Directory (AD) to expose critical security loopholes and remediate risks.
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Certify access permissions: Implement access controls over who can access your organization’s critical data.
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Take frequent backups: Since ransomware attacks deny access to data, taking frequent backups of your organizational data prevents data loss and improves business recovery in the event of an attack.
ManageEngine ADManager Plus and HIPAA
ADManager Plus, an enterprise IGA solution, will help your organization not only pass HIPAA mandates but also other compliance requirements like the GDPR, FISMA, SOX, the PCI DSS, and more. In addition to its 150+ reports, the solution offers an exclusive identity risk assessment report for AD and Microsoft 365 environments and provides remediation measures to mitigate cyber risks.
Discover ADManager Plus’ other features, like management, reports, automations, delegations, integrations, and more, using a free, 30-day trial—with no strings attached! Download the trial today.
