Data breaches in U.S. healthcare have become ubiquitous with modern hackers honing in on healthcare data due to its lucrative economic value. Cyber crooks regard medical identity theft as ‘The triple crown of stolen data’ as it’s worth more than a Social Security Number or credit card number in the internet black market. The black market rate for each partial EHR is $50 as compared to $1 for a stolen Social Security Number or credit card number. With 44% of data breaches that healthcare organizations contribute to, this report analyzes for the evolving security measures and trends in the healthcare industry to protect data from cyber crooks.
An infographic study was carried out to explore the ways by which data is lost, states accounting the most and least number of medical data breaches, and the location of breached information. Outcome of this infographics study is expected to pave the way for possibility of future research and scholarly debate. Potential of cloud computing in healthcare has been taken into account and was analyzed for its benefits of adoption and use, obstacles, and its forecast in the near future.
At the outset, this report is a snapshot of U.S. healthcare’s defensive preparation and strategy against the level of cyber-attacks that will be coming at them, statistical analysis on types of breach impacting healthcare organizations the most, state-wise percentage analysis of medical data breach, and cloud computing as a defensive solution to protect the data from cyber-attacks, and insider threat - disgruntled employees and patient-record snoopers.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Arguments
2.1 Data breaches in healthcare: Can customers’ data be better protected by their healthcare institution?
2.2 Breaches by type: How the data is lost?
2.3 Cloud storage of medical data: Safe or sloppy?
3. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This report examines the rising frequency and impact of data breaches within the U.S. healthcare sector, identifying the economic drivers behind medical identity theft and evaluating the effectiveness of current defensive strategies, including the role of cloud computing.
- The high economic value of medical records compared to other personal data.
- Statistical analysis of common breach types, including hacking versus physical loss.
- State-wise distribution and trends of healthcare data breaches.
- Evaluation of cloud computing as a potential defensive infrastructure for sensitive medical information.
Excerpt from the Book
Data breaches in healthcare: Can customers’ data be better protected by their healthcare institution?
Healthcare data remains to be a cyber crook’s ideal target given its lucrative economic value, vulnerability of healthcare’s cybersecurity system, and the ease of stealing medical information due to lack of infrastructural security within the industry. Although the digital and technological revolution is shaping the future of connected care, the transition of U.S. healthcare to move their medical records to digital space has made the protected health information more available to skilled hackers. The increasing cyber threats have been attributed to the ease of stealing medical information making it worth the trouble for hackers.
With hackers honing in on healthcare data, cyber threats on healthcare organizations have sharply increased by 100% between 2009 and 2013, and 72% between 2013 and 2014. The aggressive and targeted cyber-attacks affecting the healthcare industry has now made cybersecurity a top business priority for healthcare organizations.
The puzzle to implement successful security practices from banking into healthcare has not been addressed, despite the track record of software and tools like total fraud protection, Kerberos, two factor authentication, detect-ID, and pretty good privacy (PGP). Banks have stepped up their online security by incorporating advanced encryption technologies for secure transactions while health insurers and hospitals have not taken security seriously. Funds are typically allocated by healthcare organizations for new machines and noteworthy physicians who drive more patients and have a direct impact on profits, while neglecting security.
Chapter Summary
Introduction: Provides an overview of the escalating threat landscape in healthcare information security and the high economic motivation for cybercriminals to target electronic health records.
Arguments: Analyzes why healthcare institutions struggle with cybersecurity, explores the different modalities of data loss, and assesses the viability of cloud storage as a security measure.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, highlighting the severity of the financial and personal impact of medical ID theft and the urgent need for a more robust, defensive approach to data protection.
Keywords
Medical ID theft, economic value, cyber threats, breach types, defensive strategies, cloud computing, healthcare security, data breaches, HITECH Act, encryption, information security, patient records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this report?
The report provides a snapshot of the current state of cybersecurity in U.S. healthcare, specifically analyzing why data breaches occur, how they happen, and what strategies can be employed to protect patient records.
What are the central themes covered in the study?
Key themes include the economic valuation of stolen health records, the transition to digital health systems, the comparison of different breach methods, and the risks versus benefits of cloud computing in a medical environment.
What is the main research question?
The core question is whether customer data can be better protected by healthcare institutions through improved security infrastructures and the potential shift toward cloud-based defensive systems.
What methodology was used in this research?
The author conducted an infographic study using raw data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights breach portal, analyzed with tools such as Microsoft Excel, SPSS, and Meta-Chart.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body evaluates the vulnerability of existing client-server systems, contrasts the security posture of the banking industry with healthcare, and details the specific types and locations of breached data.
Which keywords characterize this research?
The research is best characterized by terms such as Medical ID theft, cyber threats, defensive strategies, and cloud computing.
Why is medical data considered a "treasure trove" for hackers?
Medical data is highly valuable on the black market because it contains sensitive information like social security numbers and diagnostic codes, which can be sold for significantly higher prices than standard financial information.
What does the study suggest about cloud computing in healthcare?
The study suggests that while cloud computing offers potential security benefits and operational efficiencies, its adoption is currently hampered by integration challenges and legislative concerns regarding data residency.
How do modern data breaches in healthcare differ from those in the past?
Modern breaches are increasingly sophisticated and targeted, moving beyond simple physical loss or theft to complex cyber-attacks that exploit systemic weaknesses in healthcare network security.
- Quote paper
- Hariesh Rajasekar (Author), 2015, A Brief Report on Data Breaches in U.S. Healthcare. What, Why, and How?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/315187
