Doctors with tech-savvy: 3 steps to protect your doctor practice from ransomware
Healthcare faces the biggest threat to its cybersecurity today from ransomware.
Ransomware has the spotlight and isn’t about to give it up. From taking down entire fuel pipelines to hijacking hospital networks, it’s the cyberattack du jour. Not only do you have the potentially disastrous consequences of being locked out of your most important files and systems, you also have to decide if you’re willing to pay cold, hard cash to get access to them again if you even get access after paying.
Survey results revealed that 73% of hospitals and physician groups admitted to being unprepared in the event of an attack. The survey found that healthcare providers with 500 or more records are 300% more vulnerable to data breaches.
The importance of data protection increases as the amount of data created and stored continues to grow exponentially. There is also little tolerance for downtime that can make it impossible to access important information.
This is challenging under normal circumstances, but almost impossible during a pandemic.
A cybercriminal break into a system finds sensitive data, encrypts it. And then demands a ransom in return for the encryption keys.
I believe electronic records are more secure than old paper medical records, but we all know that a skilled and persistent hacker can breach even the most secure information systems.
Hackers or cyber attackers can steal computer data by applying different methods Like malware, phishing, etc. They are fully trained in their work.
The steps outlined below can help healthcare practitioners protect businesses, patients, and their data.
Protect your data from ransomware attacks in 2022 and beyond –
A ransomware attack encrypts systems and data using malware and then demands a ransom to decrypt the information. Cybercriminals hold your data and systems hostage in a ransomware assault. A ransomware attack can cause a catastrophic data breach and hinder business continuity if you don’t have data protection policies in place.
Investing in IT personnel is a good idea
Healthcare systems are easy targets when their IT departments are understaffed.
As a result of limited security funds, executors typically schedule their attacks during the weekend or after hours. This is especially true when the IT staff is smaller than it is during the week. In the end, investing in a professional IT team will save practices valuable time and money. Instead of “cleaning up after the fact,” organizations should adopt a “prepare and prevent” mentality.
Invest in upgrading your security infrastructure
One of the reasons healthcare systems tend to be easy targets is their mix of legacy equipment and systems. And of their cutting-edge technology. In the absence of regular maintenance, updates, and/or patches, old systems become vulnerable.
MRI machines and embedded databases, as well as older medical devices, contain vulnerabilities known to experienced ransomware attackers. Such as password backdoors due to weak passwords set by the manufacturer. Or poor password security practices by operators.
It is a never-ending battle to secure the devices we rely on and store our personal data on. With time, even the strongest security could be cracked.
It is imperative to future-proof information systems and applications against ransom attacks. The next attack’s precursors are already inside the system, so practitioners must assume that. When ransomware and related malware are inside a system, they resemble normal operations. As a result, they can reside in networks for weeks and months, undetected.
With advanced cybersecurity solutions, applications can be monitored at runtime. Real-time performance information is available for almost every aspect of the network solutions.
Educate every employee
One of the most efficient ways to protect against cyber-attacks and all types of data breaches is to train your employees on cyber attack prevention. It is important that everyone, from doctors to receptionists, is careful. There is an increase in cybercrime due to the global health crisis.
Because the value given by criminals to an individual’s data is currently greater for health records than other forms of personal data.
It is important to educate staff members about phishing emails in all practices. Almost 93% of attacks infect systems through phishing emails that contain malware-laden links. Users can infect websites via “drive-by downloads” as well.
In particular, medical networks are more vulnerable with the increase in remote work, so staff needs to take extra care. Remote laptops are often necessary for medical staff to access sensitive data. Non-employees may use personal laptops or devices.
Remote workers use unsecured devices to access their practice networks.
Employees should follow a password management policy.
That enables two-factor authentication on network devices and systems and enforces regular updates and strong passwords. Set up a system to protect backups and recover data from the network. Ensure that your operating system, software, and antivirus solutions are up to date. Try to incorporate these small steps into your daily practice workflow.
Never test new software on your workstation, nor allow your test machine access to a network. You have to be willing to enact real security, and not depend on software to do it for you.
A current challenge facing health systems is whether the network can handle more patients. And more frequent attacks without completely shutting down. Healthcare institutions play a vital role in society as a whole. Although their vulnerabilities expose them, practitioners can strengthen their security stance by taking the steps to protect their organization.
The role of the Field Engineer platform in Cyber Security Engineering
Cybercrime is on the rise due to mastermind hackers who breach sensitive data and personal information. Prevention for ransomware attacks typically involves setting up and testing backups as well as applying for ransomware protection in security tools. Usually, organizations and large companies like to stay safe by hiring the service of a cyber security solution.
If you are interested in hiring a freelance Cyber Security Engineer in the freelance marketplace, visit fieldengineer.com. You will be able to connect with skilled engineers seeking jobs through this portal. This directory lists over 65,000 engineers in over 195 countries who work in a variety of fields.
