There is no denying it – the world around us has changed and our everyday routines, habits, and workflows have been interrupted. From social distancing to remote working, and the use of PPE, we have all had to embrace new practices. One practice that many have not considered is better protection against cyber-attack.
With organizations being forced to work remotely, change systems, and share databases in ways they had not previously, many businesses are leaving themselves open to the potential chance of data theft. Telemedicine has significantly increased across the healthcare industry which possesses its own challenges and risks including the hijacking of digital instruments and machines, modifying test results leading to misdiagnosis, and the resale of data. Many hospitals and clinics have also been understaffed giving healthcare workers no choice but to hurry between patients and computers leaving critical information accessible by lack of logging out and closing vital screens properly.
“…according to a 2020 Ponemon study, healthcare providers are the most at risk with an average of $7 Million in damages per hacked organization.”
According to Cyber Security Ventures, cybercrime is predicted to reach $6 Trillion annually by 2021, and, according to a 2020 Ponemon study, healthcare providers are the most at risk with an average of $7 Million in damages per hacked organization.
Since mid-March, a CSO Pandemic Impact Survey estimated a 26% increase in the severity, scope and volume of data breaches. These attacks are in the form of new COVID-related phishing and malspam emails, credential theft, ransomware, and remote desktop targeting. The Internet Crime Complaint Center, the FBI’s cyber division, reported receiving ~1,000 complaints a month pre-COVID, but since March 2020 they have seen up to 3,000 complaints monthly.
Your clinic, employees and clients are all equally important and should be protected from these unfortunate and unexpected incidences. Cyber liability insurance is typically not included in Professional or General Liability Insurance policies and should be highly considered. CyberProGuard® data breach liability insurance by CM&F can be purchased separately and is designed specifically for small to medium sized healthcare groups.
