Healthcare technology is evolving. Digital and telehealth services continue to expand at astronomical rates and these changes are here to stay. Because this unprecedented growth extends to the healthcare cyberattack surface, the expansion also exposes the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of a healthcare organizations’ data.
Partnering to manage cyber risk…
Many healthcare organizations lack the executive leadership and guidance they need to fully understand their risk landscape and build a resilient business continuity. As a result, healthcare organizations are not as prepared as they could, or should be.
Cybersecurity for a typical private practice usually involves either joining a hospital or health system’s medical group or partnering with a physician practice management group (PPMG). Physicians often opt for PPMGs due to the availability of added resources, earlier access to new treatments and technology, and a higher level of coordinated care made accessible in a hospital or health system-owned group. But no matter which model a physician chooses, a large part of their practice will be dependent on communication that utilizes multiple technology platforms responsible for protecting patient data.
Risk management and vendors…
More than 55% of healthcare organizations encountered a third-party data breach in the past year, surpassed in number only by the financial sector (58%). This is due in part to technological advances that increase reliance on third parties in both industry sectors. These partners have access to the sensitive, protected data that is fodder for cybercrime. With 65% of healthcare organizations recently reporting they did not feel that their IT systems are capable in making third-party security a top priority, and half stating that managing third-party security is overwhelming and a drain on internal resources, where do practices start?
Physicians can get a jumpstart on cybersecurity and compliance by addressing fundamental issues including risk analysis and response, vendor risk management, business continuity, and disaster recovery planning. A comprehensive outsourced cyber risk management program simplifies this process and can offer entities a suite of procedures, solutions, and services to ensure best practices.
Risk management and vendors…
According to 48% of cybersecurity poll respondents, one of the main challenges that organizations face is the complexity of third-party relationships. Third-party monitoring is often a manual process that stretches already tight internal resources and among the 36% of these organizations that continue to manually process third party monitoring, most say they don’t feel they are effective at detecting third-party threats.
When an organization fails to vet and monitor its vendor’s security and privacy practices, it can have a major impact on the organization’s operations, security, finances, and reputation.
Critical capability testing…
Most organizations are aware and work to respond to disruptions like cyberattacks and security issues, but simply having a cybersecurity strategy may not be enough. Healthcare organizations must regularly test their defenses and stay abreast of security by performing vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and simulated phishing attacks to allow for preventative action.
Business continuity and disaster recovery planning…
It only takes one click on a malicious email to put an entire physician group at risk and in today’s climate, cybersecurity and compliance risks are simply too challenging for most to understand and manage alone, regardless of the practice ownership model.
Because a successful cyberattack can cripple an organization even with the best strategies in place, a business impact analysis (BIA) can help your organization better understand their risks, prioritize their most critical business processes, and can ensure operational resilience by offering proactive strategies for continuity, recovery, and risk management during disruptive events.
Finding a partner in protection…
A complete managed services and leadership program includes workforce training, established policies and procedures, and on-demand access to additional cybersecurity and privacy experts. Busy health system cybersecurity leaders often struggle to stay on top of emerging threats and increasingly understand the necessity of outsourcing managed security services to reduce risk, monitor and document continuous threat hunting and incident response, and ensure all compliance needs are met within the organizational framework.
Hosting Services Solution Protecting Practices…
Patient data is potentially the most critical asset of any practice and must be protected and managed efficiently. With the continued climbing rates of cyberattacks, taking proactive measures to enhance cybersecurity is paramount in protecting your patients’ data, and ultimately, your business.
Physician’s schedules are packed with more than treating patients alone, and watching over your staff and database closely can easily fall through the cracks. Virtual OfficeWare Healthcare Solutions (VOWHS) has hosting services that help keep your network running smoothly and efficiently - without the headaches and worry of security breaches, maintenance, and practice downtime.
Outsourcing hosting services significantly lightens the load without putting a dent in your budget. With reliable and rapid implementation, your practice can gain high-speed access to athenaPractice™ without the added expense of maintaining networks, servers, and IT staff. Our services are especially valuable for multiple office remote locations, where communications costs can often be excessive.
Reduce your workload by automating the back-up process, software maintenance, and updates. Our hosted managed services ensure that your network is running competently and consistently. Data is stored in a secured, off-premises center with a managed team of IT experts, who monitor for problems before they occur.
Hosting eliminates time-consuming tasks and the need for expensive hardware and on-site database equipment. Enjoy having the freedom from maintenance and database operating system upgrades, with no system configuration or initial set up required. No need to replace your existing on-site server equipment, rapid implementation is guaranteed.
Avoid paying high fees associated with equipment, application upgrades, and general maintenance. Receive affordable and unparalleled premium managed services, helping to eliminate the need to hire on-site IT support and consultants; you’ll get all the support you need without an increase in payroll. You can access your data anywhere via the web with reliable high-speed access, HIPAA compliant encryption, and firewall protection that bolsters security.
Our hosting services offer redundant servers, and reliable high-speed Internet connectivity to ensure maximum functionality, and with automatic data backups and upgrades to mitigate non-compliance and security breach risks. Contact us to find out more.