In August, Community Health Systems announced that an external group of hackers attacked its computer network that an external group of hackers attacked its computer network and stole non-medical data of 4.5 million patients – the second-largest HIPAA breach ever reported.
The nature of providing health care services is changing, particularly as the focus shifts from hospital-based care to providing care in more cost-effective settings. The introduction of the Affordable Care Act and other key drivers are making it increasing important for health care providers, and their supply companies, to reduce costs for customers and patients, says Greg Halvacs, the Chief Security Officer and Senior Vice President for Global Security, Flight Operations and Global Real Estate at Cardinal Health, a health care services company based in Dublin, Ohio.
According to the 2014 Healthcare Crime Survey, commissioned by the International Association of Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation (IHSSFoundation), heavy violent crimes have spiraled up from 2012 to 2013.
The health sector, in partnership with the federal government, will conduct simulated attacks against health care networksto test their vulnerability to hackers.
Do your healthcare employees text? Careful – this could be a serious HIPAA compliance problem. According to SearchHealthIT, nurses and physicians are likely already using the unsecure text-messaging apps that come with their personal smartphones to communicate at a quicker pace.
Ohio’s University Hospitals (UH) recently began notifying more than 7,100 patients that their personal health information may have been exposed when an unencrypted hard drive was stolen from a third-party vendor helping to upgrade the enterprise’s computer systems, according to The Plain Dealer.
Violent crime in schools or public places might get all the press, but healthcare employees often face violent patients or visitors as part of their day-to-day routine.
