Hartford Healthcare Risk Management: Assessing Cybercrime Exposure

A recent notification from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to healthcare providers warned that the healthcare industry faces high risks of cyber security breaches. A non-profit organization called SANS Institute has warned the healthcare industry for a while that they were not well-prepared to fight growing cyber dangers. They presented hundreds of scenarios of attacks on various medical technology systems in their own report released early this year.

The recent Heartbleed security gap sent panicked consumers, businesses and officials scattering to protect their assets and reinforce cyber security prevention tactics. The security breach was detected in April 2014 disrupting the operations of over 500,000 web server users of OpenSSL security program. Those affected included bank, corporate and federal websites. Code gaps were discovered in a program called OpenSSL which was designed to protect the transmission and storage of personal data from millions of internet users. Passwords, credit card numbers and other personal data was left exposed to theft by hackers and many consumers across the nation nervous for the safety of their personal data became even more skeptical of digital information transmission and storage practices.

The healthcare industry faces greater risks than ever as many other sectors have responded to recent security threats by tightening their own cyber security. According to many security reports, medical information leaks fetch high prices on the black market as healthcare records can be more inclusive of billing information, prescription, care history and other valuable data which can be packaged together and sold off to identity thieves and criminals.

The Bureau of Consumer Protection recommends that all businesses impose a carefully implemented strategy for handling customer data which minimizes your exposure to security breaches and includes a well thought out response, should an incident occur. The best cyber security strategies for medical professionals start with Hartford healthcare risk management assessments.

At Sinclair Risk & Financial Management we understand the healthcare industry and have extensive experience navigating the risk exposures your organization faces. We specialize in Risk Evaluation and Financial Management strategics for healthcare providers in a wide variety of fields and specialties. Our team of talented veterans will gain a full understanding of your philosophy, goals, and individual risk tolerance to help you develop comprehensive Hartford healthcare risk management strategy to protect your clients and your practice from cyber security threats. Give us a call at (877) 602-2305, as we would love the opportunity to speak with you about any of our services and Healthcare Liability Insurance offerings.