Health data threats
The healthcare sector is an attractive target for cyberthreat actors due to the quantity of sensitive data healthcare organizations typically maintain, the sector's dependence on technology and the unique effects a cyberattack can have on operations. Understanding health data threats and common attack vectors can help organizations mitigate risk.
Top Stories
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17 Oct 2024
Iranian cyberactors use brute force to target healthcare
U.S. and Australian cybersecurity authorities issued a joint advisory about Iranian cyberactors, who have been using brute force to gain access to critical infrastructure entities. Continue Reading
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15 Oct 2024
Axis Health System suffers cyberattack
Rhysida ransomware actors claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Axis Health System, which has 13 locations in Colorado. Continue Reading
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10 Oct 2024
Report explores effects of cyberattacks on patient care
Surveyed healthcare security practitioners reported several negative effects of cyberattacks on patient care, including patient safety and care delivery risks. Continue Reading
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01 Oct 2024
UMC Health System suffers ransomware attack, IT outage
Texas-based UMC Health System diverted ambulances amid a ransomware attack and IT outage that affected its systems. Continue Reading
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27 Sep 2024
14M patients affected by healthcare data breaches in 2024
Healthcare organizations remain top targets for cyberthreat actors, according to a SonicWall threat brief that explored trends in healthcare data breaches. Continue Reading
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20 Sep 2024
Vice Society hits healthcare with INC ransomware attacks
Microsoft observed cyberthreat actor Vice Society, also known as Vanilla Tempest, targeting U.S. healthcare organizations with INC ransomware for the first time. Continue Reading
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04 Sep 2024
CISA warns of Iranian cyberthreat actors targeting healthcare
CISA and partners released a cybersecurity advisory regarding cyberthreat actors, such as Pioneer Kitten and UNC757, some of which have ties to the Iranian government. Continue Reading
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13 Aug 2024
Fix for Azure Health Bot vulnerabilities prevents exploitation
Researchers disclosed two Azure Health Bot vulnerabilities to Microsoft for which fixes were deployed before the flaws could be exploited. Continue Reading
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31 Jul 2024
Ransomware attack hits blood donation nonprofit
Blood donation nonprofit OneBlood is operating at a "significantly reduced capacity" due to a ransomware attack affecting its software system. Continue Reading
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19 Jul 2024
Global IT outage forces hospitals to cancel appointments
A global IT outage resulting from a faulty update to CrowdStrike's threat detection platform forced hospitals to cancel non-urgent appointments and surgeries. Continue Reading
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27 Jun 2024
Former Nuance employee arrested over Geisinger data breach
Geisinger notified more than one million individuals of a data breach that resulted from improper access to patient data by a former Nuance employee. Continue Reading
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17 Jul 2023
CISA Warns Critical Infrastructure of APT Actors Targeting Outlook Online
CISA urged critical infrastructure to leverage enhanced logging capabilities to aid in detecting suspicious activity within Microsoft Exchange Online environments. Continue Reading
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17 May 2023
Healthcare Continues to Spearhead Public Cloud Adoption
More than 70 percent of healthcare organizations surveyed by Forrester reported using multiple public clouds, highlighting the popularity of public cloud adoption in the sector. Continue Reading
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06 Apr 2023
Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud Apps to Deliver Malware in Healthcare
As cloud adoption in healthcare increases, threat actors are increasingly leveraging cloud apps to infiltrate networks and infect victims with malware, Netskope found. Continue Reading
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24 Mar 2023
HC3 Checklist Helps Healthcare Sector Ensure Mobile Device Security
HC3 emphasized the importance of authentication, encryption, and physical security when it comes to mobile device security in a healthcare setting. Continue Reading
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28 Feb 2023
Cyberattacks Drive Multi-Cloud Security Solution Market Growth
More stringent regulatory standards and increased cyber threats are driving multi-cloud security solution adoption, Research and Markets reported. Continue Reading
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31 Jan 2023
Security Is Key to Maximizing Cloud Adoption Success in Healthcare
Security must be considered throughout the cloud adoption process and beyond when it comes to healthcare. Continue Reading
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20 Jan 2023
Cloud Security Risk Management Among ECRI’s Top Health Tech Hazards This Year
ECRI identified cloud security risk management as one of the top health tech hazards of the coming year, especially as it relates to the deployment of cloud-based clinical systems. Continue Reading
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12 Jan 2023
Cybersecurity Risks Spike Within Cloud-Based Apps, Report Shows
More than 400 distinct cloud applications delivered malware in 2022 as cloud adoption continues to rise, Netskope data shows. Continue Reading
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09 Dec 2022
KLAS: Security is a Top Factor in Public Cloud Adoption For HIT Vendors
Vendors want to see improvements in security, cost, and product enhancements when it comes to public cloud adoption, KLAS reported. Continue Reading
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30 Nov 2022
Six Healthcare Workflows Primed for Cloud Faxing
Cloud faxing is more than capable of meeting the healthcare industry's demand for secure, efficient, and useful information sharing. Continue Reading
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23 Nov 2022
10 State AGs Call on Apple to Bolster Reproductive Health Data Privacy in App Store
Ten state attorneys general sent a letter to Apple urging the company to take steps to better protect reproductive health data in third-party apps available on the App Store. Continue Reading
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15 Nov 2022
Many Cloud Attacks End in Financial Loss for Healthcare Sector
The healthcare sector is a lucrative target for threat actors, with 86 percent of cloud attacks ending in financial loss, a new report stated. Continue Reading
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30 Aug 2022
Small Healthcare Orgs Point to Cybersecurity As Barrier to Cloud Adoption
Increasing complexity and cybersecurity concerns are stalling cloud adoption at small and midsize healthcare organizations, survey results suggest. Continue Reading
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15 Aug 2022
HC3 Calls Attention to Cloud Security Concerns, Mitigation Tactics
In its latest analyst note, HC3 dives into cloud security concerns and mitigation tactics that organizations can use to safeguard data. Continue Reading
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02 Aug 2022
Addressing Mobile Device Security Risks in Healthcare
Nearly half of surveyed healthcare organizations that suffered a mobile-related security breach said that device-based threats were a contributing factor, Verizon found. Continue Reading
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15 Jun 2022
Cybersecurity Professionals Identify Top Cloud Computing Security Risks
The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) released a report outlining the top cloud computing security risks that cybersecurity experts frequently encounter. Continue Reading
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05 Apr 2022
2.9M Victims, 42 Healthcare Data Breaches Reported to HHS in March
HHS OCR’s breach portal showed a decrease in healthcare data breach reports in March compared to the first two months of the year. Continue Reading
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15 Mar 2022
Top Challenges to Multi-Cloud Adoption in Healthcare
Multi-cloud adoption is growing in healthcare, but data integration, application mobility, and cost continue to pose challenges, a survey found. Continue Reading
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08 Mar 2022
Driving Digital Transformation in Healthcare With Industry Clouds
Industry clouds allow healthcare organizations to accelerate digital transformation and tailor cloud technology to specific business needs. Continue Reading
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24 Feb 2022
NIST Issues Final Guidance on RPM, Telehealth Security
The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) released NIST’s final guidance on RPM and telehealth security. Continue Reading
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27 Jan 2022
Managing Telehealth, Remote Patient Monitoring Security Concerns
Industry experts weigh in on how the healthcare sector can manage telehealth and remote patient monitoring security concerns. Continue Reading
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05 Jan 2022
Pros and Cons of Public, Private, Hybrid, Multi-Cloud Architectures
Healthcare organizations must consider scalability and security risks when it comes to choosing between a public, private, hybrid, or multi-cloud architecture. Continue Reading
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06 Dec 2021
81% of Telehealth Providers Are Concerned About Data Leakage
More than half of surveyed telehealth providers reported having patients refuse telehealth treatment because of data security and privacy concerns. Continue Reading
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18 Nov 2021
Security Defines Multi-Cloud Infrastructure Success, IT Leaders Say
Over 60 percent of survey respondents said that ensuring consistent security measures across apps, users, and devices was critical to multi-cloud infrastructure success. Continue Reading
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03 Nov 2021
Cloud Adoption Shifts to Hybrid, Multicloud IT Architecture
IBM’s global study on cloud adoption found that organizations are shifting away from a single cloud vendor in favor of a hybrid, multicloud IT architecture in part to ease security concerns. Continue Reading
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07 Oct 2021
73% of Ransomware Detections in Q2 2021 Credited to REvil/Sodinokibi
McAfee’s cyber threat report revealed that healthcare was the second-most targeted sector for cloud security incidents in Q2, and REvil/Sodinokibi is still going strong. Continue Reading
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27 Sep 2021
Public Cloud Adoption Rises, But Health Security Concerns Remain
Research shows that public cloud adoption is correlated with a lower likelihood of suffering a data breach, but other health security concerns persist. Continue Reading
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23 Sep 2021
CSA Offers Guidance on Preventing Ransomware in the Healthcare Cloud
New guidance from the Cloud Security Alliance warns organizations about the prevalence of ransomware in the healthcare cloud and shows how to mitigate risk. Continue Reading
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02 Jul 2021
DoD: Staff Need Healthcare Privacy, Cloud Security Certifications
Two (ISC)² certifications for healthcare privacy and cloud security are now perquisites for certain US Department of Defense cybersecurity staff. Continue Reading
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23 Jun 2021
What Data Privacy Risks Are Associated with Mobile Health Apps?
Analysis reveals inconsistent privacy practices and risk of personal data exposure for users of mobile health apps, according to a recent study. Continue Reading
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03 Jun 2021
NIST Unveils Guide to Mobile Device Authentication for First Responders
An increasing number of organizations are employing mobile devices to give first responders immediate access to data. NIST insights shed light on the role of biometrics for authentication. Continue Reading
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20 May 2021
The Telehealth Security Impact: Now and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic
IEEE and Impact Advisor leaders share best practice policies for encryption, risk remediation, and security reviews to reduce possible telehealth security impacts beyond COVID-19. Continue Reading
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17 May 2021
CISA Eviction Guide for SolarWinds, Microsoft O365 Compromises
Five months after disclosing the SolarWinds supply-chain attack, DHS CISA has shared eviction guidance for compromises of the Orion platform and Microsoft Active Directory and O365. Continue Reading
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30 Apr 2021
Google Sued, Lawsuit Claims COVID-19 Contact Tracing Tool Exposes Data
A lawsuit has been filed against Google by individuals who used California’s public health COVID-19 contact tracing app, claiming it exposed their data and violated privacy laws. Continue Reading
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19 Apr 2021
HSCC Shares Telehealth Cybersecurity Assessment, Mitigation Guidance
In the wake of a surge in telehealth implementations during last year’s pandemic response, new HSCC guidance supports providers with cybersecurity assessment and mitigation. Continue Reading
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01 Apr 2021
VMware Issues Patch for 2 Severe Flaws Posing Credential Theft Risk
Two severe flaws found in VMware’s vRealize Operations, Cloud Foundation, and Lifecycle Manager should be addressed, as an exploit could lead to the theft of admin credentials. Continue Reading
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22 Mar 2021
NIST Shares Mobile Device Privacy, Security Guide for BYOD Policies
Designed to support enterprise bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies, the NIST guide sheds light on security challenges and privacy risks brought on by employees’ mobile devices. Continue Reading
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10 Mar 2021
Verkada Security Camera Hack Allows Access, Leak of Hospital Live Feeds
First reported by Bloomberg, the hack of Verkada allowed hackers to gain access to the live feeds of 150,000 security cameras, including those belonging to several hospitals and Tesla. Continue Reading
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08 Mar 2021
Congress Urges FTC Crackdown on Health Apps Via Breach Notice Rule
Three Congressional members are urging the FTC to enforce its Health Breach Notification Rule to penalize mobile apps sharing personal health data with third-party sources. Continue Reading
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10 Feb 2021
30 Popular mHealth Apps Vulnerable to API Attacks, Posing PHI Risk
A damning new report shows a vast number of mHealth app and API vulnerabilities, including hardcoded APIs keys, are putting patients’ protected health information (PHI) at risk. Continue Reading
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25 Jan 2021
Threat Actors Can Leverage RDP Servers to Amplify DDoS Attacks
A recent Netscout report shows threat actors can exploit Microsoft RDP flaws to amplify DDoS attacks and 14,000 Windows RDP servers are susceptible to abuse. Continue Reading
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14 Jan 2021
Top Health IT Security Challenges? Medical Devices, Cloud Security
More than half of health IT leadership sees connected medical devices and cloud security as the leading health IT security challenges brought on by COVID-19 measures. Continue Reading
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14 Jan 2021
CISA: Poor Cyber Hygiene Exploited to Compromise Cloud Security Services
Threat actors are successfully exploiting enterprises with poor cyber hygiene to compromise cloud security services through phishing attacks and brute force attempts, DHS CISA warns. Continue Reading
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17 Dec 2020
Report: COVID-19 Telehealth Risks and Best Practice Privacy, Security
A report published in JAMIA spotlights both the cybersecurity risks associated with telehealth use amid COVID-19 and best practice privacy and security measures needed in response. Continue Reading
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16 Oct 2020
350M Voicemails, Health Details Exposed by Misconfigured Database
A trove of 10 data collections owned by vendor Broadvoice was left exposed online without password protection, compromising 350 million voicemails, some including health information. Continue Reading
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03 Sep 2020
OCR Updates HIPAA Resource for mHealth Apps, Cloud Computing
The update to OCR’s former Health App Developer Portal provides healthcare entities and mobile health app developers with HIPAA resources regarding health apps, APIs, and cloud computing. Continue Reading
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13 Aug 2020
Medical Software Database Exposes Personal Data of 3.1M Patients
Researcher Bob Diachenko discovered a database owned by a medical software company leaking the personal details of over 3.1 million patients, which was later deleted and potentially stolen. Continue Reading
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06 Aug 2020
Researchers Find More Devices, Vendors Vulnerable to Ripple20
Tenable and JSOF identified another 47 devices, some from 34 new vendors, at risk to Ripple20 vulnerabilities, found in the embedded software of the TCP/IP communication stack. Continue Reading
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31 Jul 2020
Philips Discloses Vulnerability in DreamMapper Mobile App Software
DHS CISA alerted to a vulnerability found in Philips DreamMapper versions 2.24 and earlier, which could allow an attacker to access the log information files of the mobile app software. Continue Reading
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23 Jul 2020
Reports Finds IoT Devices Host Social Media Apps, FDA-Recalled Platforms
Ordr finds many IoT and medical devices use platforms recalled by the FDA, while some MRIs and CTs allow the use of social media apps like Facebook, which pose serious security risks. Continue Reading
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07 Jul 2020
NSA Shares Guide to Securing IPSec VPNs, Telework, Remote Sites
In light of the expansion of remote sites and telework, the NSA released insights for organizations designed to help better secure the IPSec Virtual Private Network (VPN) environment. Continue Reading
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19 Jun 2020
Majority of COVID-19 Contact Tracing Apps Lack Adequate Security
Guardsquare analyzed 17 global government COVID-19 contact tracing apps, including those from the US, finding most lacked sufficient security and pose a serious hacking risk. Continue Reading
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16 Jun 2020
Cloud Mitigation for Ransomware, as COVID-19 Spurs Cyberattacks
Providers are increasingly being targeted with cyberattacks and ransomware throughout COVID-19; edge-to-cloud security tactics could reduce the increased risk to the healthcare sector. Continue Reading
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11 Jun 2020
Breach of Telehealth App Babylon Health Raises Privacy Concerns
While Babylon Health is UK-based, its recent breach that allowed patients to view appointments of other patients raises a host of privacy concerns in light of telehealth expansion in the US. Continue Reading
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10 Jun 2020
COVID-19 Security: Reducing Risk of Temporary Hospitals, Remote Care
The rapid deployment of remote tech, telehealth, and temporary hospitals amid COVID-19 has significantly increased vulnerabilities in healthcare, which could have lasting impacts beyond the crisis. Continue Reading
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04 Jun 2020
Enterprise Mobile Phishing Attacks Spike Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Lookout research shows healthcare is the most targeted sector for phishing attacks, while enterprise mobile phishing attempts have steadily increased amid the COVID-19 crisis. Continue Reading
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01 Jun 2020
Remote Attacks on Cloud Service Targets Rose 630% Amid COVID-19
As noted in recent federal agency alerts, McAfee confirms hackers are continuing attempts to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic with remote attacks on cloud services increasing by 630 percent. Continue Reading
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30 Apr 2020
DHS Shares Cloud, Microsoft Office 365 Insights for COVID-19 Telework
DHS shares guidance for Microsoft Office 365 and other cloud services centered around multi-factor authentication and access controls, given the increase in telework amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue Reading
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29 Apr 2020
EFF Warns COVID-19 Tracing Apps Pose Cybersecurity, Privacy Risks
Google, Apple, and others are racing to develop contract tracing apps to help individuals determine potential COVID-19 exposures, but EFF warns the tech may put privacy and cybersecurity at risk. Continue Reading
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27 Apr 2020
Apple, Google Address COVID-19 Contact Tracing App Privacy Concerns
After reviewing feedback from industry stakeholders, Apple and Google have revised their COVID-19 contact tracing app proposal to address privacy concerns, stressing transparency. Continue Reading
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10 Apr 2020
Critical VPN Security for Telehealth, Remote Access Amid COVID-19
In a recent Healthcare Strategies podcast, CynergisTek CEO and President Caleb Barlow sheds light on best practice tech and practices for telehealth and remote work during COVID-19. Continue Reading
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06 Apr 2020
FBI: COVID-19 Spurs Increase in Zoom, Video-Conferencing Hijacking
DHS CISA alerts to FBI insights on the rise in hijacking attacks on Zoom and other video-conferencing platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing tips to defend against hacking attempts. Continue Reading
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01 Apr 2020
Amid COVID-19 Telehealth Use, Sen. Probes Zoom on Privacy Practices
Zoom's popularity has drastically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting Sen. Richard Blumenthal to examine the video conferencing app’s encryption and privacy practices. Continue Reading
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31 Mar 2020
Must-Have Telehealth, Remote Work Privacy and Security for COVID-19
COVID-19 has drastically increased the threat landscape for healthcare with the spike in telehealth and remote work; here are the must-have privacy and security needs during the pandemic. Continue Reading
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30 Mar 2020
Zoom Domains Targeted by Hackers, as Use Surges with COVID-19
Hackers are banking on the popularity of Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic, ramping up malicious domains tied to the app; Zoom has also been under fire for privacy concerns. Continue Reading
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20 Mar 2020
Best Practice Cybersecurity Methods for Remote Care, Patient Portals
Experian Health’s Jason Considine shares best practice cybersecurity methods, as providers potentially expose themselves to greater risk with the use of mobile and patient portals. Continue Reading
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02 Mar 2020
Walgreens Reports Data Breach from Personal Mobile Messaging App Error
A report filed with California shows an internal error on the Walgreens messaging app exposed the personal messages stored on its database to be viewable by other customers. Continue Reading
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27 Feb 2020
37% Health Orgs Shirk Mobile Security for Efficiency, Increasing Risk
Verizon’s 2020 Mobile Security Index shows two-fifths of healthcare organizations faced a mobile device compromise last year, with some admitting they sacrifice security “to get the job done,” thus increasing risk. Continue Reading
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24 Feb 2020
Enterprise Public Cloud Adoption Stifled by Privacy, Security Concerns
Globally, organizations believe utilizing the cloud provides significant value to the enterprise. But Barracuda found privacy and security concerns are delaying cloud adoption. Continue Reading
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27 Jan 2020
NSA Shares Guide for Mitigating Cloud Vulnerabilities, Threats
In its continued effort to increase transparency, the NSA recently shared guidance on shoring up cloud vulnerabilities, threat actors, and best practice mitigation techniques. Continue Reading
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25 Aug 2019
Why Healthcare Needs Cloud-Based Identity Management
An increasingly complex digital environment necessitates a new scalable approach to identity management that safeguards sensitive data and streamlines access. Continue Reading
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29 Jul 2019
Using Cloud-Based Faxing to Eliminate Healthcare Inefficiencies
Providers still rely on fax machines for health data exchange, but cloud-based faxing can overcome legacy fax technology challenges, including increased security and scalability. Continue Reading
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20 May 2019
How Cloud Fax Enables Healthcare Interoperability
Faxing makes healthcare work. Cloud-based faxing makes it work more securely, effectively, and efficiently. Continue Reading
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28 Jan 2019
Speeding Pharma’s Time to Market with Managed Cloud Services
Drug developers need an IT infrastructure that enables their organizations to focus on innovation and stay competitive, and the cloud is more than ready. Continue Reading
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21 Jan 2019
Big Rewards Await Pharma Companies with Big Data in the Cloud
Pharmaceutical companies aiming to leverage artificial intelligence and big data analytics without exorbitant spending should look to the cloud for their infrastructure needs. Continue Reading
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14 Jan 2019
What Pharma Needs to Know about Compliance Regulation in the Cloud
Cloud is a staple of today’s pharmaceutical IT infrastructure for cutting-edge research and development, but it presents many health data compliance challenges for adopters. Continue Reading
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22 Oct 2018
Developing a Successful, Sustainable Mobile Device Management Program for Healthcare
With the right knowledge and technology, like mobile device management, healthcare organizations can deploy and use mobile devices efficiently and securely. Continue Reading
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15 Oct 2018
Mobile Devices in Healthcare Increase, as Do Security Challenges
Healthcare organizations are using mobile devices in greater numbers to improve productivity and patient experience, but these same devices can increase risks for a PHI breach. Continue Reading
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01 Oct 2018
Securing Patient Data While Embracing Innovation
As healthcare organizations look to technology innovation to improve patient care, they also need to make sure they are securing patient data in the face of new threats and vulnerabilities. Continue Reading
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04 Jun 2018
Why Email Failed To Replace Fax For Secure Document Exchange
Sharing PHI in a HIPAA-compliant fashion using current health IT infrastructure continues to prove a pain point for covered entities. Continue Reading
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30 Apr 2018
Best Practices for Keeping Patient Data Confidential
Ensuring health data privacy is essential for providers to build meaningful and lasting relationships with their patients. Continue Reading
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05 Apr 2016
Increased EHR Adoption Raises Need for Robust Security
Recent cybersecurity attacks on health systems and hospitals shine the light on the importance of EHR security Continue Reading