The results of a new survey have found that even professionals who work in the healthcare industry are concerned about the cybersecurity of their own healthcare information.
Venafi, a company that develops cybersecurity solutions, including machine identity protection, surveyed 122 healthcare professionals on sector response to cyber threats. The survey was conducted during the HIMSS18 conference in Las Vegas earlier in March.
According to the survey, most of the healthcare professionals polled remain confident regarding their own organization’s cybersecurity protocols despite apprehensions connected with their own healthcare information and general healthcare infrastructure. The survey found that 79 percent of healthcare professionals admitted they are concerned about the cyber security of their own healthcare information. Yet despite this, 68 percent believe their organizations are doing enough to protect patient privacy and personal information from cyber attackers.
The survey also found that 87 percent of respondents are concerned that the reliability and availability of critical healthcare infrastructure could be compromised by cyber attacks.
Respondents were conflicted about the role of cybersecurity regulation. A third (33 percent) of the respondents believe there is too much cybersecurity regulation in the healthcare industry and 29 percent feel there is not enough regulation.
Seventy-six percent of respondents believe government-mandated backdoors into encryption technology could harm the privacy and personal information of patients.
“It’s very clear healthcare professionals are deeply concerned about the protection of their own healthcare data,” Nick Hunter, senior manager of threat intelligence for Venafi, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, cyber attacks spread just like infectious diseases; attackers target victims with weak security hygiene, adapt quickly and have learned to use security defenses to hide malicious activities in plain sight. It’s going to take a concerted effort across the healthcare industry to improve cyber security outcomes.”
