With the prevalence of data breaches, ransomware, and cyber thefts, data security should be a fundamental priority for any organization in 2016, perhaps for none more so than those within the healthcare industry. All Protected Health Information—medical record data, Social Security numbers, dates of birth—are of incredible value to cyber thieves, who can sell each individual record on the black market for several hundred dollars.
The threat is real and growing. In 2015, there was an 80 percent increase in data breach hacks in the healthcare industry. The Bitglass 2016 Healthcare Breach Report found that 1 in 3 Americans were victims of those data breaches, resulting from large-scale attacks that each affected more than 10 million individuals. For example, the Anthem hack in 2015 resulted in 78.8 million leaked customer records.
Knowing this, you may assume that the healthcare industry has since made great strides toward enhancing and increasing its data security measures. However, this is not the case.
Earlier this year, Modern Healthcare deemed 2016 the “year of data security” in healthcare. Then this May, they reported on the findings of the Ponemon Institute’s sixth annual healthcare data privacy and security survey. The report indicated that 89% of leaders surveyed said their organization had experienced a data breach in the last 2 years—and 45% had seen more than five data breaches occur. Yet only 53% of leaders said they have adequate data security solutions in place, which is just a 3 percent increase from 2014. Data breaches are a rapidly growing threat, yet there has been a notably slow response from those within the industry to take necessary actions.
At CHI Corporation, we understand the unique data security needs of the healthcare industry. Data protection and network security are critical; information technology demands must be met. When your patients’ personal information is at risk of inadequate protection, your entire organization is compromised. Work with CHI Corporation to identify a data security solution that fits the size and scope of your healthcare organization. Contact us today to learn more.
