The healthcare industry is facing an increasing number of cyberthreats that pose significant risks to the safety and well-being of patients. With the digitization of healthcare systems, hospitals, health insurance companies, and pharmaceutical companies have become prime targets for cybercriminals. These cyberattacks range from digital extortion and ransomware attacks to the theft of valuable intellectual property. The evolving landscape of cyberthreats in healthcare requires organizations to adopt robust cybersecurity measures and ensure their resilience in the face of attacks.
In a recent interview at the mWISE Conference, Taylor Lehmann, Director of the Office of the Chief Information Security Officer at Google, and Monica Shokrai, Head of Business Risk and Insurance at Google Cloud, shed light on the challenges faced by the healthcare industry in combating cyberthreats. According to Lehmann, the critical nature of healthcare systems and the potential harm to patients make hospitals and healthcare organizations attractive targets for cybercriminals. Additionally, the presence of legacy infrastructure in these organizations makes them vulnerable to attacks.
To mitigate the financial losses incurred from cyberattacks, cyber insurance plays a crucial role in safeguarding healthcare providers. Cyber insurance forms part of a holistic risk management strategy and helps organizations reduce risk and mitigate the severity of cyber incidents. The policies often include an incident response panel that provides expert support in responding to cyberattacks, enabling organizations to navigate the aftermath of a breach efficiently. Shokrai emphasized the importance of the insurance industry using risk and loss metrics to prioritize security measures and improve feedback loops with customers.
Google Cloud’s Risk Protection Program aims to simplify the insurance process by providing insurers with risk metrics and enhancing collaboration with cybersecurity experts. The program not only helps customers access cyber insurance but also promotes education and thought leadership within the insurance industry.
As the healthcare industry continues to grapple with cyberattacks, cybersecurity measures and cyber insurance are becoming essential components of healthcare organizations’ resilience and protection of patient data.
Sources:
– Interview with Taylor Lehmann and Monica Shokrai at the mWISE Conference
