Because healthcare organizations are often targeted by ransomware attacks through phishing emails, promoting security awareness is crucial. Hackers send emails to hospitals and medical centers that seem to come from co-workers or authority figures. Employees are then encouraged to click on a link that is infected with ransomware or another type of malware. In the case of ransomware, this link encrypts medical data and files, shutting down the entire system.
To prevent these email attacks from succeeding, healthcare providers need to raise the security awareness of staff members. Security awareness should be made part of the culture of the healthcare organization through continuous training and reinforcement.
On the most basic level, healthcare providers should enforce regular cybersecurity training and continual education programs across the organization. Both stakeholders and staff benefit from learning how to recognize and handle suspicious emails to prevent ransomware attacks.
Interactive security awareness training is most effective. Participating in hands-on exercises using real-world scenarios makes the training stick. Employees should be taught to identify the signs of a suspicious email, to avoid clicking on links, and whom to notify when they spot a phishing attempt.
Ongoing training helps to reinforce core lessons. Courses can be adapted to incorporate new and emerging threats and their attack vectors.
Employees should be tested regularly to see if the training is taking effect. Often, security awareness testing takes the form of putting an employee in a risky scenario without their knowledge.
For example, an employee who has difficulty recognizing phishing emails might be sent a fake email with some of the characteristics of a phishing email, such as spelling and grammatical errors, an unfamiliar address, or a request for money. If the employee responds appropriately, you know the training is working. If not, the employee might need supplemental training.
Employees should understand the importance of securing medical data and the consequences of a breach. Pointing out that medical data and personally identifiable information (PII) is a hot commodity on the Dark Web drives home the importance of protecting patient data. Employees should know that medical histories can be sold for top dollar or used to commit healthcare fraud.
Another repercussion of a data breach is the possibility that data will be compromised or lost. Without the information in electronic health records (EHRs), patients can’t receive timely care and may not receive the correct diagnosis or treatment plan.
Healthcare staffers are dedicated to protecting patients’ interests and follow the ethic of doing no harm. Putting the impact of a breach in this context reinforces the importance of security awareness and thinking before you act.
Overall awareness is a key part of security hygiene. Just as healthcare staffers know how to wash up, gown up, and wear masks to prevent the spread of germs, they need to know how to prevent the spread of malware and computer viruses.
Derive Technologies can help your healthcare organization raise your level of security awareness. We have been working with healthcare providers in the Tri-State area for more than 20 years through our dedicated healthcare practice.
We understand the threats your healthcare organization faces and can work with you to promote security awareness. As a Cisco Premier Certified Partner, we also have the certified expertise needed to back up your awareness with top network security solutions for healthcare.
