The phrase “digital transformation” gets thrown around a lot these days when discussing IT infrastructure. A popular — albeit slightly vague — buzzphrase for a reason, digital transformation, in this context, simply refers to the idea that businesses are working to modernize their operations and leverage the power of new technologies.
Application programming interfaces, better known as APIs, link unrelated platforms so data can flow freely between them. And in order for providers to share patient health data across different systems, APIs must be produced at rapid speed and maintained with diligence to foster interoperability. However, this innovation comes with a catch. The more APIs an organization uses, the greater opportunity for risk they face in both performance and security.
The healthcare industry has rapidly embraced digital technologies to enhance patient care, streamline operations, and improve communication. However, this digital transformation brings with it a significant challenge: protecting patient data. One often overlooked risk comes from tracking pixels, which can lead to (accidental) data leakage and privacy breaches.
Healthcare and technology have always gone hand in hand. Telemedicine, which lets you talk to doctors without visiting them in person, is a great example. A few years back, it might have sounded like science fiction. But today, it's a regular part of many people's lives. In fact, data shows that 80% of people have used telemedical services at least once in their lives.
The massive uptick in business email compromise (BEC) is considered one of the costliest attack types, requiring organizations to put employees on notice to stay vigilant. The latest research from the FBI puts the average cost of BEC attacks at around $125,000. What makes them so dangerous is that they largely rely on text-only emails using social engineering to trick those with finance responsibilities into parting with the money they control.
Community First Medical Center (CFMC) is a medical and nursing facility that serves Chicagoland and Illinois broadly. They employ over 300 individuals who preside over a 299-bed hospital campus. Originally named Our Lady of the Resurrection Hospital, CFMC provides community-focused healthcare, diagnostics, and treatments. If you have received services from CFMC, your private information might have been stolen in a recent data breach.
HCA Healthcare is a national and international healthcare service provider. Their services span over 180 hospitals and thousands of clinics across 20 states. They also offer services in the United Kingdom called HCA UK. Around the world, more than 290,000 people work for HCA; their payrolls include the staff of surgery and urgent care centers, imaging and physician clinics, and more. Back in July, HCA Healthcare suffered a hack exposing the data of more than 11 million Americans.
Lakeland Community College is a public school located in Lake County, Ohio. The school serves approximately 8,700 students at one time and provides over 135 different associate degrees and technical certificates. The school has more than 900 employees and generates over $104 million in revenue annually. Over many years the school serves tens of thousands of students, which means that it's processing and storing a substantial amount of information.
Both Atrium Health and Novant Health are health organizations that work with a large number of hospitals offering services. These v work with data from thousands of patients and enable standard hospital practices to occur. Between the two organizations, a huge number of different hospitals and private practices are involved. That's why it's upsetting to learn that both of these organizations were recently breached.
