With Vladimir Putin’s frightening attack on Ukraine, the American healthcare system is on high alert for a cyberattack in retaliation for economic sanctions. Last week, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a cyber “Shields Up” warning to the U.S. private sector, including health care, based upon the increased cyberthreat posed by the Russian government. CISA’s warning led to HHS’s Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center, or HC3, issuing an alert for the healthcare sector. The American Hospital Association also issued a warning, the Harvard Business Review offered instructions on what companies can do to protect themselves, Becker’s listed the latest cyberthreats, and leaders (U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) and Chris Inglis, the nation’s first cyber director), sounded the alarm for everyone to take a more proactive approach to cybersecurity. Even before Putin’s attack, HHS explained why an increasing share of cybercriminals are targeting EHRs and recommended in a “threat brief” that healthcare leaders shift from a prevention focus to a proactive preparedness plan. So, we knew before this week that cybersecurity was a top-line concern for the healthcare industry — and there is no lack of action to be on top of it (e.g., multiple health systems are actively seeking cybersecurity experts). But warnings and cybersecurity protections didn’t stop Anna “Delvey” Sorokin from engaging in (successfully, at least at first) real-life wire fraud. Let’s hope that we are not in the midst of another Netflix drama series based on real-life events.
February 25, 2022 | 3 min read
February 25, 2022
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