By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    All That You Need to Know About Clenbuterol
    November 22, 2019
    Top 5 Facts About CPPA Accreditation
    April 9, 2015
    mental health benefits school
    Mental Health & Practical Benefits of Continuing Education After 30
    June 30, 2024
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Serious is the Threat of a Cyber Attack on U.S. Healthcare?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > How Serious is the Threat of a Cyber Attack on U.S. Healthcare?
eHealth

How Serious is the Threat of a Cyber Attack on U.S. Healthcare?

rdowney14
rdowney14
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

A new paper discussses the vulnerability of the U.S. Healthcare system, and a story in a respected publication assesses the threat of cyber warfare.

A new paper discussses the vulnerability of the U.S. Healthcare system, and a story in a respected publication assesses the threat of cyber warfare.

David Harries and Dr. Peter Yellowlees authored the “Brief Communication” in the new issue of Telemedicine and eHealth, titled “Cyberterrorism: Is the U.S. Healthcare System Safe?“  Mr. Harries works for Océ North America, a Canon Group Company, and Dr. Yellowlees is a psychiatrist at U-C Davis in California.  Because we’re doing a lot with technology in medicine now, we’ve become fairly dependent on these systems.  And the authors believe that this dependence on data systems that use the Internet makes them a potential target for terrorists.  Should there be an attack on, say, a hospital computer system, bringing it down or revealing confidential patient information acquired from it, this could shake the trust in such systems.  As far as we know, there hasn’t been a successful attack on a U.S. healthcare organization.  The authors suggest that with cyber attacks on the increase, it may only be a matter of time before one is launched successfully.  In the article, they discuss “several best practices” healthcare organizations can adopt now for protection.

As to the actual threat of cyber-warfare, The Economist featured an article in its edition last week, titled “Hype and Fear.” It points out that “almost all (roughly 98%) of the vulnerabilities in commonly used computer programmes that hackers exploit are in software created in America.”  General Keith Alexander, the head of both the Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, says the attacker always has the advantage.  Many potential targets of cyber-terrorists, like power grids, sewage systems, and transportation systems, are less vulnerable than you might think.  Even if a foreign organization launched a weapon like the Stuxnet virus that was used against Iran, experience shows it will have limited success and the vulnerabilities will be repaired quickly.  And that was the best that purportedly two first-rate cyber powers (the U.S. and Israel) could come up with.  To develop a Stuxnet would require large teams of highly-qualified people which may be beyond terrorist groups.  And a large team formed to do bad things attracts the attention of intelligence agencies who are often successful infiltrating them.

More Read

A Slice of Geek Heaven at FutureMed 2013 in San Diego
The Application of Google Glass in Sudden Cardiac Death
Digitalization Transforming Healthcare: The Era of Health 2.0
ONC Releases RFI on Catalyzing Interoperability of EHRs at HIMSS13
New Website Helps Patients Avoid Bad Medical Treatments

Still, there’s probably some teenager working round the clock trying to hack his way into a healthcare system for “fun”.  As a side note, companies like Microsoft have hired the people who mount cyber attacks on them to frustrate the others who are out there.

Harris and Yellowlees suggest that healthcare organizations develop a “defense in depth” approach as part of an overall risk management strategy.  This involves multiple layers of protection.  They offer six guidelines  to follow:

1. Regular security risk assessments that determine any gaps.

2. Intrusion prevention and detection services that can detect and block cyber attackers.

3. Installation of a data loss prevention solution that checks for leakage of information.

4. Audit logs to track access to sensitive patient data.

5. Performance of regular tests of Web security.

6. Mandates that software for mobile devices, laptops, portable storage and backup tapes be encrypted.

Even with all these measures in place, you may still have to worry about the IT guy who was fired last week and wants to “get even.”

TAGGED:cyber attack
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Twitter, Healthcare Marketing
BusinesseHealthSocial Media

Should Your Medical Practice Have a Twitter Account?

June 27, 2014

Beyond the Buzz: 20 Tried and Tested Ways to Promote Your Healthcare Blog

April 17, 2015
healthcare IT
eHealthMedical RecordsMobile HealthSocial MediaTechnology

Big Data in Tune with the Healthcare Industry

April 3, 2013
facebook f logo
Social Media

Facebook Fundamentals: Being “Social” Where It Counts

September 28, 2015
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?