Up until now, healthcare cyber security has been focused on protecting patient data, ensuring HIPAA compliance, and, more recently, protecting systems from ransomware attacks. However, as healthcare technology advances, a new threat is emerging: the potential for hackers to attack smart medical devices such as insulin pumps and pacemakers. If IoT security is not taken seriously, innovation will be stunted and, in the case of healthcare, lives will be lost.

What is the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the growing number of “smart,” internet-connected devices that are infiltrating every part of our lives, such as fitness wearables, smart TVs, connected cars, smart thermostats, and even smart buildings. Business Insider estimates that over the next five years, $6 trillion will be spent developing IoT technology, and by 2020, 24 billion IoT devices will be in use.

The healthcare industry, which has historically been slow to implement new IT technology, has enthusiastically embraced IoT devices, which can be wearable (such as a fitness monitor) or implantable (such as an insulin pump). Allied Market Research predicts that the world IoT healthcare market will reach $136.8 billion by 2021, more than doubling its $60.4 billion value in 2014.

Despite this rapid growth, IoT security is severely lacking. IoT devices may be smart, but they have far weaker security controls than regular computers. IoT passwords are often hard-coded and freely available online, and some devices are very difficult to patch or update. There are a myriad of device manufacturers, with more entering the market every day – but no common security controls or best practices, and no procedures to track devices as they move through the supply chain from the manufacturer to the end user. This results in IoT devices having numerous vulnerabilities that are just waiting to be exploited.

IoT security vulnerabilities aren’t purely hypothetical. Recently, cyber security experts demonstrated how Nest’s smart thermostat and Ring’s smart doorbell could be breached and turned into entry points into a home network. (Ring’s manufacturer has since issued a firmware update to address the vulnerability.) While there have been no reported attacks involving either device, logically, it’s only a matter of time before an IoT device is targeted.

And if hackers can get into thermostats and home security devices, why couldn’t they breach a pacemaker or an insulin pump? Especially since someone has already done it.

Healthcare IoT Security: The Next Ransomware Threat

As we’ve reported in previous blogs, the healthcare industry has suffered from a number of major ransomware attacks in the past few months, beginning in February, when Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, after being locked out of their system for a week, paid hackers the equivalent of $17,000.00 in Bitcoin to get back in. Some security experts feel that by caving in and paying up, the hospital inadvertently proved to hackers that using ransomware to attack healthcare facilities means fast money. If a hospital will part with large sums of money to get back into its computer system, how much would a patient be willing to pay to keep a life-sustaining medical device working?

Again, such a scenario is not hypothetical. TechTarget reports that two patients in a hospital in Austria figured out how to hack into their own medication infusion pumps because they felt their pain was not being managed properly. Frighteningly, to get in, the patients simply went online, looked up the hard-coded passwords for their pumps, then used them to log in and adjust their doses. The patients ended up overdosing and suffering respiratory problems.

If a layperson with no computer science training can manage to figure out how to hack into an IoT medical device, imagine what a money-motivated hacker with advanced technical skills could accomplish. A hacker could access a pacemaker or an insulin pump, begin draining the battery, and refuse to stop until the victim pays a ransom. The only obstacle would be determining how to deliver the ransom demand to the victim, but with reams of personal information easily available online, it would not be difficult for a hacker to obtain a victim’s mobile phone number or email address and use these to deliver the ransom demand.

What Can Healthcare Providers Do to Protect Patients?

The recent ransomware attacks on medical facilities have proven that hackers have no regard for human life and are fully willing to put fragile patients at risk in their quest to make a quick buck. The healthcare industry needs to take IoT security every bit as seriously as other forms of cyber security, and industry leaders must put pressure on IoT device manufacturers to establish security controls and best practices, such as eliminating hard-coded passwords and ensuring that IoT devices are as easy to patch and update as computers and mobile phones.

Healthcare facilities can take proactive security measures right now by developing a robust information security policy to include security awareness among all healthcare personnel and, from a technical perspective, continuous monitoring of systems so that baseline user patterns can be determined and deviations that may indicate possible attacks can be detected.

In addition to establishing an internal culture of security awareness, implementing a solid security plan, and monitoring systems for suspicious activity, it’s a good idea for healthcare facilities to enlist the services of a professional cyber security firm such as Continuum GRC. The cyber security experts at Continuum GRC have deep knowledge of the cyber security field, are continually monitoring the latest information security threats, and are committed to protecting your healthcare organization from attacks. Continuum GRC offers full-service and in-house risk assessment and risk management subscriptions, and we help companies all around the world sustain proactive cyber security programs.

Continuum GRC is proactive cyber security®. Call 1-888-896-6207 to discuss your organization’s cyber security needs and find out how we can help you protect your facility from ransomware attacks and data breaches.

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In a previous blog, we discussed the recent epidemic of ransomware attacks on U.S. healthcare organizations and the importance of the industry taking this very serious cyber security threat – and healthcare cyber security in general – seriously. The good news is that although a ransomware attack can bring a healthcare facility to its knees, ransomware attacks can be prevented by taking precautionary measures.

Following are five tips for healthcare organizations to protect themselves against ransomware and other healthcare cyber security attacks.

1. Build a Culture of Healthcare Cyber Security Awareness in Your Organization

Ransomware usually doesn’t make its way onto a network through an automated attack but through simple social engineering techniques, such as employees clicking on phishing emails or inadvertently installing malware. Many facilities simply do not take healthcare cyber security seriously. Unlike many other industries, healthcare was very slow to go digital, and as a result, many healthcare employees look at information technology as more of a hindrance than a benefit. They may also feel that information security is “the IT department’s job,” and that their focus should be solely on treating patients. Employees must be taught that preventing cyber attacks is every bit as important as preventing infections and biohazard exposure incidents, and that cyber security is everyone’s “job,” regardless of their position within the organization.

Among the ways to change your employees’ attitude and instill a culture of healthcare cyber security awareness:

• Include information security in your organization’s core values, right next to patient care.
• Provide comprehensive security training at regular intervals. Having new hires watch one “training video” isn’t enough.
• Ensure that all supervisors model information security best practices and remind employees that everyone is responsible for preventing cyber attacks.

2. Secure Mobile Devices

Due to the advent of electronic health records (EHRs), mobile devices are becoming very popular in healthcare facilities. However, because of their portability, these devices are subject to loss or theft. They are also susceptible to electromagnetic interference, which can corrupt the data stored on them.

Best practices for mobile device use in a healthcare setting include:

• Ensure that all mobile devices used within the facility are equipped with multi-factor authentication and access controls, including strong passwords that are changed regularly.
• Avoid storing electronic health information on mobile devices. In cases where data must be stored on them, the data should be encrypted.
• Mobile devices should be physically tracked. They should not be permitted to leave the facility except under specific circumstances outlined in your organization’s policy.
• Patients and other visitors to your facility should never be allowed to access your organization’s secure network.

3. Back Up Your Data and Your System

This step may seem obvious, but many organizations (healthcare and otherwise) do not regularly conduct secure backups of their data. In addition to backing up data, organizations should also create a system and configuration backup, known in the IT industry as a “gold image.” Regular backups are essential because, should a facility fall victim to a ransomware attack, it can restore its data and systems instead of paying the ransom.

4. Control Physical Access to Your Data and Network

In addition to securing your digital data and files, make sure you also secure your organization’s physical devices and storage media (such as flash drives, CD’s, and portable hard drives) through such measures as:

• Limiting physical access to server rooms and all areas where computers are used. Employees and visitors who do not have a compelling need to access the server room shouldn’t be allowed to do so.
• Restricting the ability to remove devices from secure areas and from the facility in general.
• Maintaining a visitor log and installing security cameras.

5. Enlist the Services of a Professional Healthcare Cyber Security Firm

In addition to internal security personnel, a culture of security awareness, and a solid security plan, it’s a good idea for facilities to also enlist the services of a professional cyber security firm such as Continuum GRC. The cyber security experts at Continuum GRC have deep knowledge of the cyber security field, are continually monitoring the latest threats and technologies, and are committed to protecting your healthcare organization from attacks. Continuum GRC offers full-service and in-house risk assessment and risk management subscriptions helping companies all around the world sustain a proactive cyber security program. Continuum GRC is proactive cyber security®. Call 1-888-896-6207 to discuss your organization’s cyber security needs and find out how we can help you prevent your facility from suffering a ransomware attack or a data breach.

Have a question or want to schedule some time with our Superheroes?

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Continuum GRC unveils the next generation of cyber-crime prevention for organizations with NIST and SEC, NFA compliance requirements in concert with the Cyber Security Act of 2015.

Continuum GRC released the next generation antidote to fight cyber crime, compliance failures, corporate fraud and criminal cyber-misconduct with the IT Audit Machine (ITAM IT audit software).

Considered to be the best assessment tool for governance, risk and compliance (GRC) in the global business community in compliance with the Cyber Security Act of 2015, this next generation of ITAM IT audit software ups the ante by managing big data and frameworks with virtually endless possibilities. These new enterprise capabilities coupled with the already powerful analytic and logic features are a technological force to be reckoned with.

Congress & President Obama recently enacted a cybersecurity piece of legislation known as the “Cybersecurity Act of 2015” which is designed to ensure that public companies “provide a basic amount of information about the degree to which a firm is protecting the economic and financial interests of the firm from cyber-attacks” using guidance from the SEC, NFA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

In addition, the Cyber Security Act of 2015 strengthens and prioritizes cybersecurity at publicly traded companies by encouraging the disclosure of cybersecurity expertise, or lack thereof, on corporate boards at these companies. This legislation requires companies to disclose – in their SEC, NFA filings – whether they have a director who is a “cybersecurity expert” – and if not, why having this expertise on the board isn’t necessary because of other cybersecurity steps taken by the company.

The Cyber Security Act of 2015 would require the SEC, NFA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to provide guidance on the qualifications necessary to be a cybersecurity expert.

Michael Peters, CEO of Continuum GRC said “The IT Audit Machine NIST and SEC, NFA compliance assessment modules are just one of the many innovations from Continuum GRC that really sets us apart from other cyberspace Security, governance, risk and compliance software firms.”

The top sources for learning more about the threatscape for cyber security since 2005 has been the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and a similar industry analysis resource is the Identity Theft Resource Center who have only been tracking cyber security breach statistics since 2014. Continuum GRC has been leading the charge since 2000 when the company introduced the concept of Proactive Cyber Security™ to the world.

When the majority of cyber threats are waged against the SMB space and a whopping 60% of those companies will be out of business within six (6) months post breach, we are understandably sympathetic to the rising level of despair company leaders and the board is suffering with.

“Are we next? That is the big question being asked more frequently now at the board level.” Said Peters

This second chart shows the percentages by industry where the cyber security data breach threats are being most successful.

NIST regulations are complex and expertise in deciphering this regulatory mystery is in short supply which is one reason ITAM IT audit software is such a great solution. Continuum GRC removed the guesswork from compliance completely. With intuitive and guided questionnaires you cannot make mistakes and missteps putting your company at risk.

Gone are the days where audits, assessments and compliance work was overshadowed by endless spreadsheets, version control madness, escalating costs and audit anarchy. The IT Audit Machine puts the power of technology, collaboration and simplicity to work for the entire enterprise and does it in a progressive, proactive way.

Cyber-crime prevention is of paramount concern to organizations of all sizes, all industries and on all parts of the world. Continuum GRC put its extensive experience in cybercrime and fraud prevention in the governance, risk and compliance (GRC) spaces to work for the global business community.

“Service providers globally are under increasing attack by cyber criminals. These criminal acts could have been prevented through a proactive cyber security position. Continuum GRC is proactive cyber security with our NIST compliance and assessment automation modules and templates.” said Peters.

Continuum GRC’s primary purpose is to help organizations attain, maintain, and demonstrate compliance and information security excellence, in any jurisdiction. Continuum GRC specializes in IT security, risk, privacy, governance, cyberspace law and compliance leadership solutions and is fully dedicated to global success in these disciplines.

Learn more about Continuum GRC and why Continuum GRC is Proactive Cyber Security™!

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