8 in 10 doctors have experienced a cyberattack in practice.
A staggering 83 percent of physicians told AMA researchers that their practices have experienced a cyberattack of some type. The 1,300 physicians surveyed also said not enough cybersecurity support is coming from the government that will hold them accountable for a patient information breach. These and other findings are contained in a first-of-its-kind survey from the AMA and management consulting firm Accenture. The data (infographic) provide new depth—and an often overlooked physician voice—to the discussion on how best to protect patients in a complex health care system that is increasingly connected and vulnerable to cybercriminal exploitation
“The important role of information sharing within clinical care makes health care a uniquely attractive target for cyber criminals through computer viruses and phishing scams that, if successful, can threaten care delivery and patient safety,” said AMA President David O. Barbe, MD, MHA. “New research shows that most physicians think that securely exchanging electronic data is important to improve health care. More support from the government, technology and medical sectors would help physicians with a proactive cybersecurity defense to better ensure the availability, confidentially and integrity of health care data.”
Most of the AMA survey respondents report being either very or extremely concerned about future attacks aimed at their practices. All practice settings are at risk, but attacks are twice as likely at medium- and large-size practices. Malware—the broad term for a wide range of malicious software—is a top concern, as are breaches involving the theft of electronic patient health information.
Nearly three-fourths—74 percent—of the respondent physicians said that interruption or inconvenience to the running of their practices is their greatest concern. In the context of medical care, that business disruption can very quickly become a patient safety concern. Phishing attacks also are among the top threats cited by physicians. The technique involves the use of often very sophisticated sham emails to entice recipients to reveal sensitive information—such as passwords—or trigger malware, including ransomware that blocks access to patient records and other viral practice information until an untraceable online payment is made (https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/sustainability/8-10-doctors-have-experienced-cyberattack-practice).
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Only pay for what you need!
CyberSecurity4biz has designed packages according to the complexity of your business, the types of data, the number of computer/mobile devices you have, and the number of employees. Whether you are a solopreneur working from home with no employees and 1 computer, or an independent healthcare business with 20 employees and HIPAA requirements, we have a package that meets your needs and budget.