Electronic health records (EHRs) have become a key part of modern healthcare. EHRs are systems that store medical histories on computers instead of paper. This results in more organized, efficient, and effective care. However, using more technology also puts patient privacy at greater risk from hacking.
Recent numbers show that cyber attacks on healthcare shot up 74% in 2023 compared to 2022. EHR systems were the primary target, responsible for over half of all healthcare data breaches last year. The average cost of a healthcare hack now totals $9.4 million.
To guard EHR systems from cyber threats, healthcare groups need to take a proactive and multi-layered path to safety. This article outlines eight vital practices for protecting EHR environments.
Building a Culture of Cyber Safety
While essential, technology alone is insufficient for complete protection. Without an organization-wide priority on safety from the top leaders, even strong solutions will have gaps. Studies estimate around 30% of healthcare workers break safety rules on purpose while nearly 50% do so by accident. This shows why making cyber safety second nature is so important. These statistics underscore the importance of educating all healthcare staff about cybersecurity.
Data Source: Statista
To make cyber safety everyone’s duty, healthcare groups should focus on
1. Ongoing Training
Annual cyber safety training can reduce security breaches by more than 70%. This turns staff into the first line of defense. Training should teach people about evolving threats while offering practical steps for specific roles.
2. Phishing Tests
Simulated phishing attacks enhance resilience by safely evaluating vulnerabilities. Repeated tests can dramatically lower click rates over time. This trains staff to spot and report fake dangers.
3. Clear Reporting Rules
Without set reporting rules, staff may stay silent about the odd activity. By having straightforward protocols and protecting whistleblowers, healthcare groups can encourage threat reporting from all levels.
Building an atmosphere of shared duty and regular learning is vital for long-term safety. Securing the human element lets technology protections work best.
Use Strong Access Controls
To bar unauthorized access to sensitive patient data, strict identity and access controls for EHR systems are essential. Restricting data access based on job roles can significantly reduce risk by minimizing unnecessary exposure. Also, multifactor authentication (MFA) lowers account takeover risk by over 99% versus single-factor authentication. Best practices for specific access control measures include:
- Role-based access to provide minimum needed permissions
- Tough password rules needing complex, alphanumeric credentials
- MFA for all logins
- Regular access reviews to ensure proper data use
Layered access controls significantly cut insider threat risk while enabling workforce productivity.
Encrypt Data at Rest and In Transit
EHR data that is unencrypted poses a significant vulnerability, whether it is stored or being transmitted. Strong encryption guards patient health data from prying eyes, stopping unauthorized access tries.
Following the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines, encryption keys should be rotated frequently to mitigate the risk of code-cracking advancements. Specific encryption best practices include:
- Encrypting EHR databases, backups, and archives to protect inactive data
- Using secure data travel methods (HTTPS, TLS, SSH) for data on the move
- Encrypting staff endpoint devices and mobile devices as a second wall
- Updating encryption algorithms alongside technological improvements
Comprehensive encryption strategies minimize the risk of EHR data breaches across various IT environments.
Track and Audit System Activity
To spot EHR threats early, endless security tracking plus regular auditing are key. By setting baselines for normal system and user patterns, tracking tools can auto-flag abnormalities indicating an attack. Meanwhile, audits do deeper backward checks of major security happenings. Key monitoring and auditing practices include:
- Using 24/7 tracking tools (SIEM, IDS/IPS) to watch activity
- Tuning detection settings to limit false alarms and misses
- Doing quarterly audits to catch security gaps
- Recording shady events to smooth incident response
Proactive tracking and auditing shrinks incident reaction times and stops cyber events before they become full breaches.
Do Regular Risk Assessments
Alongside constant watchfulness, regular EHR risk checks let healthcare groups take a big-picture view. By spotting potential soft spots early and weighing associated risks, leadership can smartly put security resources into high-priority zones. Helpful approaches include:
- Leveraging healthcare-focused risk models.
- Scheduling yearly EHR risk assessments to address evolving dangers and system shifts
- Engaging outside testing services for an unbiased score
Continuous risk poking to ensure strategic harmony between daily security ops, risk plans, and top-brass choices.
Secure Mobile Devices
As clinical and consumer tech keeps converging, bulletproof mobile protections are non-negotiable. All mobile devices accessing EHR systems should lock down via:
- Tough password guards and encryption meeting HIPAA rules
- Access time-outs to prevent unwanted use of unattended devices
- Separating work stuff and personal stuff through containerization to limit malware spread
- Enterprise mobility management (EMM/MDM) to enable remote wiping of lost or stolen devices
As healthcare depends more on mobile tech, prioritizing mobile safety is key for managing EHR system growth. In the growing world of EHR solutions, it’s crucial to select platforms that not only enhance operational efficiency but also bolster security measures. drchrono is a highly customizable and advanced mobile EHR platform designed to meet the unique needs of healthcare providers while ensuring robust cybersecurity. Incorporating such innovative systems can significantly reduce risks associated with unauthorized access.
School Staff on Social Engineering
Despite tech controls, people often stay vulnerable. By teaching staff how to spot and avoid manipulation tactics, healthcare groups can majorly boost their odds against cybercrooks. Key training topics should cover
- Common social engineering traps (sketchy freebies, urgent emails, odd calls)
- Safe web use to avoid malware
- Secure password best practices
Alongside overall cyber safety training, social engineering education helps forge staff into a sturdy first defense against cybercrime.
Stay on Top of Software Updates
Beyond reactively plugging holes already being hacked, proactive EHR patching matters too. By regularly testing and installing vendor software upgrades, known security defects can close before attackers exploit them. Key patching best practices include:
- Enforcing vendor support contracts to ensure access to the latest fixes
- Subscribing to update alerts to stay in the know on new patches
- Testing patches first in sandbox setups before deployment
Prompt and dependable software updates make sure EHR systems always have the most up-to-date protections.
Conclusion
As healthcare hacking threats rise, proactive EHR security is crucial. By making cyber safety part of the culture, layering tech controls, and continuously tracking risks, healthcare groups can build robust defenses to match their level of risk.
While 100% breach-proofing is impossible, following cybersecurity best practices provides the greatest chance to prevent and minimize damage from incidents. There’s no time like now to review current safeguards and find chances to take EHR system security even further.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the biggest digital threats to EHR systems?
The top threats are 1) hackers trying to steal patient information to sell, 2) staff improperly peeking at files, and 3) viruses attacking systems to damage key records. Good security aims to prevent all of these.
2. How often should you check security?
Experts recommend testing EHR system security every 6 months at a minimum. Doing a full audit to simulate different situations helps uncover weak areas. Running tests even more often every 1-3 months helps you stay a step ahead.
3. Does training healthcare staff help security?
Absolutely. Staff are critical for noticing odd links or chart activity involving patients. But without training, workers won’t know what dangers to watch for or how to safely report issues. Yearly cyber safety lessons tailored to healthcare roles are super important.
