Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

Are Healthcare IT Security Leaders Still Underestimating Cybersecurity Risks?

Healthcare Informatics: A recent survey of healthcare IT security leaders indicates that the healthcare industry’s level of readiness to defend against concerted cyber attacks has improved in the past two years, which shows progress toward strengthening healthcare organizations’ security postures. However, the bad news is, despite the rising threats, the number of healthcare organizations making investments in information security has actually declined since 2015.

KPMG, an audit, tax and advisory services firm, surveyed 100 CIOS, chief technology officers (CTOs), chief security officers (CSOs) and chief information security officers (CISOs) from both healthcare provider organizations and payers with over $500 million in annual revenue. The firm’s 2017 Cyber Healthcare and Life Sciences Survey found a dramatic rise in computer system breaches and data compromises, which include patient records, over the past two years. And, yet, more C-level IT security executives say they are better prepared than two years ago to protect their organizations against cyber attacks.

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