New technology in the healthcare sector warrants caution and additional scrutiny
While the focus of Dragon Dictation emphasizes healthy relationships with patients, saving time, and reducing burnout there is another priority on the horizon: cybersecurity. We’ve touched on it before, but now more than ever, reiterating the importance of cybersecurity in the medical sector is important.
There are a handful of reasons to maintain a secure hospital medical environment, including:
- Maintain HIPAA compliance and avoid regulatory penalties
- Save hundreds of millions by avoiding disastrous malware attacks and costly downtime
- Avoid weakening brand strength and keep patient trust
- Stay ahead of the competition that neglects strong healthcare cybersecurity policies
Why the cybersecurity game is changing in healthcare
We want to emphasize the use of network-safe resources, tools, apps, and software. That’s because it’s part of the IoT, or Internet of Things, a trend that’s grown for several years since the introduction of “smart tech.” Smart technology is another way of saying “internet-facing hardware,” and that’s another way of saying a device has internet connection abilities. Sounds confusing!
Simply put, if a device can connect to the internet, it’s part of the IoT. All sorts of tech are part of the IoT nowadays, from home security systems to household appliances. Unsurprisingly, the IoT is a big part of modern business and network models too. Healthcare is no exception – and the general rule is this: the more devices, tools, and apps you introduce into your medical network, the higher risk there is for a breach.
Healthcare is especially susceptible to these malicious breaches. Data in the medical sector is invaluable to hackers, allowing them to conduct phishing campaigns or ransom it for profit. Furthermore, the medical sector observes the widespread use of IoT devices and wearables to help track patient conditions and statistics. They’re excellent for care reasons, but still introduce a degree of risk that needs proper assessment.
And that’s just the tip of the cybersecurity iceberg. Even as technology evolves, the threatscape changes with it.
Requirements for insurance and regulatory compliance
You readily know (or should) about mandates related to HIPAA and protecting patient data privacy. HIPAA combined with state-to-state requirements requires practices and organizations to remain agile in their privacy compliance. Here’s the kicker, however: compliance doesn’t equate to safety. While every industry should vie for cybersecurity compliance rules, it’s a faulty assumption that it equates to immunity from attack, breach, or human error.
Here’s another dynamic shaking up the cybersecurity sector: insurance. Specifically, insurance requirements. The cybersecurity insurance market blossomed during the COVID pandemic for several reasons. One was the adoption of remote work services, creating a need for additional coverage. The second is an evolving digital and tech market. But, cybersecurity insurance providers are less willing to offer coverage – if any – to clients demonstrating severe security negligence. That means if your healthcare practice stands on shaky ground when it comes to cybersecurity standards, you’re out of luck. Given the devastating costs associated with cyberattacks, a medical network can ill afford to pay out of pocket to cover its dues.
Therefore, the need for compliance, safety, and use of secure tools isn’t just to hassle you, it’s a financially sound investment too. Sparing your practice downtime and damage recovery costs is the difference between losing a business as a medical enterprise.
Sounds like a losing game, but is it?
Healthcare professionals are constantly inundated with crisis tasks and paperwork management. We don’t have to tell you twice about the intense demands of EMR and after-hours labor. Now, healthcare cybersecurity enters the picture, creating another complication. Burdened with existing demands, it seems impossible to manage.
The good news is, managing a healthy cybersecurity policy is entirely within reach. Fundamentals, good training, and covering the basics yield vastly better results than expensive security solutions. If you were sweating another expensive monthly bill, then don’t. While it helps to have a backup in place, good policy relies on the human element. Also, utilizing safe tools – the point we’ve been emphasizing – mitigates risk levels and helps you acquire insurance programs while remaining data-compliant.
Data-safe software is any app or digital tool that receives reliable updates to prevent intrusion. In the IoT, for example, one of the biggest concerns is outdated devices losing support. Any device in the IoT has a developer and said device uses firmware. Without those updates, they become a weak point.
Or, a device used within medical infrastructure qualifies as safe if it’s siloed from external intrusions. A perfect example is Dragon Medical One. This dictation software captures spoken audio but doesn’t sync or upload files to an external server. All information is housed wherever the user prefers to save their files.
Internalize that philosophy when building out your healthcare cybersecurity architecture. Implement data-safe tools (those that have a low-risk profile) and limit use of IoT devices.
Dragon Medical One is a perfect addition to any medical organization, saving time and money. And, it’s HIPAA compliant and safe from third-party attacks.
For more information about Dragon Dictate and a free trial, you can reach out to us today.
