The COVID-19 pandemic forced the healthcare industry to rapidly adopt telehealth, which has left it vulnerable to cyberattacks as the industry had little or no time to ensure all the necessary cybersecurity precautions were in place before lockdown measures were enacted. If healthcare organizations do not start prioritizing data protection and cybersecurity, the number of attacks will continue to grow in 2021 and patient’s confidential personal information, and in some cases, patient’s health will be at risk as many telehealth services work with sensitive patient data, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Since most non-emergency doctor appointments are conducted remotely using third-party telehealth applications, cyberattacks have more surface to operate on. CSI’s Security report highlights that breach reports in the healthcare industry increased in the second half of 2020 by 35.6% compared to the first half. According to GlobalData, the global security industry will be worth nearly $238bn by 2030, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% between 2019 and 2030.
Kamilla Kan, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, various industries are still heavily relying on remote work and the healthcare industry is no exception. However, while cyberattacks are becoming more frequent, the healthcare industry has been historically slow to adapt to the latest technological changes, including cybersecurity.
“While CSI Security’s recommendations for cybersecurity improvement has mostly focused on vigilance regarding business associates, further exploration and implementation of new cybersecurity methods, particularly those involving machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), will be beneficial for the healthcare industry as these technologies can be used to analyze the growing landscape and discover potential attacks. By implementing these new technologies, the healthcare industry will be become more successful and efficient at identifying and preventing any potential attacks.”
