Healthcare Cybersecurity Stats You Need to Know

If you’re keeping up with healthcare security news, then you’re likely aware of the ongoing cybersecurity threats in the healthcare industry. With attacks and threats growing year over year, healthcare security is just as important to patients and practices as other business-critical functions.

This, in itself, can present a challenge as it’s difficult to combine being a doctor or dentist with  being a business manager and IT team, or any variation on those roles. The first step, however, to minimizing and mitigating the risk and threat is understanding exactly how it’s impacting healthcare providers.

Quick Links:

• Why Healthcare Cybersecurity is Important
• How Cybersecurity Threats Have Changed
• Healthcare Cybersecurity Stats You Need to Know
• How Your Tech Stack Can Improve Healthcare Cybersecurity

Why Healthcare Cybersecurity is Important

Over the last decade, healthcare organizations have, increasingly, made a digital transformation. From managing patient records, communication and billing to eprescribing, the need for a strong cybersecurity stance has become even more critical.

As the most recent Change Healthcare cyber attack demonstrates, threats are ongoing, serious and have, in some cases, long-lasting and wide-reaching implications. In fact, in this one example, an attack on healthcare payments means that everyone from large hospitals and smaller practices to pharmacists reliant on the provider for billing and claims are affected. As a result, patients have gone without treatment and prescriptions and practices have gone without payment.

Like Change, healthcare organizations gather, transmit and store vast amounts of sensitive information, including personal health records, financial data and other personally identifiable information (PII). This wealth of data makes them valuable targets for cybercriminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain or malicious intent.

One of the most significant reasons why healthcare cybersecurity is vital is the protection of patient privacy. Patients trust healthcare providers to safeguard their sensitive information, from EHRs to payment data, and any healthcare data breach of this trust can have severe consequences.

A breach not only compromises patients' privacy but can also lead to identity theft, financial fraud, and even potential harm if sensitive medical information falls into the wrong hands. Moreover, HIPAA holds that healthcare organizations have a legal and ethical responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of patient data.

Beyond the implications for individual patients, cybersecurity breaches in healthcare can have far-reaching consequences for the entire healthcare ecosystem. They can disrupt operations, leading to delays in patient care, financial losses and damage to the organization's reputation. Further, cyberattacks can pose significant public health risks. For example, if hackers gain access to medical devices or systems controlling critical infrastructure, they could potentially manipulate treatment protocols or cause disruptions that endanger patient safety.

In addition to the direct consequences of cybersecurity breaches, healthcare organizations also face regulatory penalties and legal liabilities for failing to protect patient data adequately. With the increasing stringency of data protection laws and regulations, non-compliance can result in hefty fines and legal repercussions. Investing in robust cybersecurity measures is not only a matter of protecting patients and preserving trust but also essential for ensuring compliance and avoiding costly consequences.

How Cybersecurity Threats Have Changed

One of the biggest challenges to maintaining a strong cybersecurity posture for healthcare organizations is the way threats evolve and change. Cyber attackers are constantly seeking new vulnerabilities which means, in turn, healthcare organizations and their software vendors need to be remarkably responsive and proactive, monitoring for vulnerabilities and threats. 

One notable shift in cybersecurity threats is the rise of ransomware attacks targeting healthcare institutions. Not only do these attacks jeopardize patient care by disrupting access to medical records and systems, but they also pose significant financial and reputational risks to healthcare organizations.

Additionally, the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in healthcare settings has expanded the attack surface for cyber threats. From connected medical devices to wearable health monitors, these devices present new vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or even manipulate medical equipment remotely.

Moreover, the emergence of sophisticated phishing techniques has made it increasingly challenging for healthcare professionals to identify and mitigate security risks. Cybercriminals often use social engineering tactics to trick employees into disclosing confidential information or clicking on malicious links, bypassing traditional security measures and gaining unauthorized access to healthcare networks.

In response to these evolving threats, healthcare organizations must prioritize cybersecurity measures to safeguard patient data and preserve the integrity of their operations. This includes implementing robust encryption protocols, regularly updating software systems to patch vulnerabilities, and providing comprehensive training programs to educate staff about cybersecurity best practices.

By staying vigilant and proactive in their approach to cybersecurity, healthcare organizations can mitigate the risk of cyber threats and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of patient information.

Healthcare Cybersecurity Stats You Need to Know

From understanding the scale and size of attacks to the frequency and mechanisms of cyberattacks, it’s essential that practitioners have a holistic view of the cybersecurity landscape. For that reason, we present healthcare cybersecurity stats you need to know.

• In 2023, there were nearly 120 million patient records compromised by cyberattacks and data breaches. 88 million of those were in the first 10 months. That’s nearly 35% of the U.S. adult population.
• 90% of healthcare organizations have experienced at least one security breach.
• Healthcare cyber crimes typically cost more than twice as much ($10.93 million) as the average breach ($4.5 million).
• Email phishing scams are a significant threat with 90% of IT experts suggesting it’s a concern. 90% of healthcare attacks begin with phishing. Those attacks can cost, on average, $14.8 million dollars.
• 88% of healthcare workers open phishing emails.
• More healthcare organizations are concerned about Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks with 62% of organizations reporting they’re vulnerable.
• While 76% of ransomware attacks are targeted at larger organizations like hospitals, nearly a quarter targeted smaller organizations like dental practices.
• 56% of healthcare organizations report spending only 10% of their IT budgets on security. Nearly the same number suggest they don’t have the right IT talent with 46% reporting finding IT talent is a significant problem.
• Nearly a third of healthcare employees did not know if their organization had a cybersecurity policy. And yet, it’s reported that negligent employees are responsible for 61% of healthcare data breaches.
• 37% of healthcare IT teams reported they had not or did not back up critical and sensitive data.

In short, for many healthcare organizations, it’s not a matter of if they will be targeted, it’s when, especially if those organizations are not mindful of the strategies and protocols they can put in place to mitigate their risks.

How Your Tech Stack Can Improve Healthcare Cybersecurity

In review, most healthcare organizations are underprepared for a rapidly evolving cyber threat ecosystem. It can take time and resources to overcome the challenges of understaffing  and insufficient training, but it’s critical to have capable teams to handle patient care, customer service, billing and more. There’s often little time for you to run IT double duty. The good news is you’re not alone.

The better news is that because this is a significant concern, across all healthcare organizations, security support is accessible and available.

The best news? It can all be tailored to your needs. From software support to managed services, healthcare security improvements need not be out of reach.

The first critical step you should take right away is assessing your current security posture so you can determine what you need to address and what you need to prioritize. For many practices, this means starting with a HIPAA risk assessment which can help point out regulatory and security vulnerabilities.

Once you’ve got a baseline, you can determine your true needs. That said, nearly every healthcare organization can benefit from HIPAA compliant email to prevent phishing attacks from even getting to your inbox.

And, if you’re among the nearly 40% of healthcare organizations without backup policies or procedures for critical data, consider a secure, encrypted, HIPAA compliant cloud backup.

But if you need a more comprehensive solution, consider the expertise of an IT team through managed services. Managed IT services for healthcare can help keep your security systems and software up-to-date, protecting your data, patients, and practice.

Need help figuring out which solution would work best for you? Get in touch with the expert team at iCoreConnect. Not only do we offer a variety of solutions, we can tailor them to best meet your needs. Book a demo or reach out to our team today and let’s keep you out of the healthcare cybersecurity stats!