Knowledge Center

The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), a nonprofit authority on the use of health IT to create efficiencies in healthcare information exchange has released a new white paper exploring common vulnerabilities exploited by cybercriminals in today’s healthcare environment and the best practices organizations can implement to mitigate these. The white paper, “The Rampant Growth of Cybercrime in Healthcare, summarizes cybersecurity topics that were discussed at multi‐ stakeholder cybersecurity roundtables convened in November, 2015 and April, 2016 by WEDI and sponsored by Fortinet.

The 15-page document outlines how cybercrimes are more commonplace in the healthcare landscape given the high value of digital health records which have “attracted organized crime and government-sponsored entities that in turn are capable of launching sophisticated attacks to disrupt, disable, destroy or maliciously control digital technology and data of organizations. As the use of health IT becomes more widespread, cybersecurity must be more directly integrated into the fabric of healthcare and ultimately become an organizational asset that is perceived as commonplace and mission-critical as hygiene and patient safety procedures have become to quality care. No matter how high the walls that any one organization is able to erect against cybercriminals, the healthcare industry at large must coalesce as a united front to more collectively address how to implement a universal culture of cyberdefense and train a more resilient workforce to mitigate threats.

To read more, visit HIT Consultant.