It’s a tough time to be a security professional in a healthcare enterprise given that the industry is the big target for hackers. This year 113 healthcare facilities have reported data breaches while just 39 financial and banking institutions have been hit, according to a report issued this summer by the Identity Theft Resource Center.
The ITRC says hospitals are the primary focus and most vulnerable given the large and various user populations which includes everyone from the custodial operations point to the physician ranks. Inside attacks are the primary threat, according to security experts.
The Center defines a breach as an event in which an individual name, Social Security Number, driver’s license number, medical record or a financial record/credit/debit card is potentially put at risk whether it’s in electronic or paper format.
To get an idea of what kinds of breaches are taking place and where, click here to read the Center’s 2010 ITRC Break Report and Breach Stats Report.
In one case a former university medical center worker access fellow employee social security numbers to complete surveys that won him hundreds of dollars in vouchers for an online retail shopping excursion. The theft of a hard drive at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing required the agency to reach out and notify 105,470 clients that their state ID numbers had been compromised.
Data breaches not only can damage a healthcare facility’s reputation, and the requisite trust factor between patients and care takers, it can cost some big bucks.
According to industry analyst estimates, a data breach can cost a company between $100 and $200 per compromised record.
The ITRC says hospitals are the primary focus and most vulnerable given the large and various user populations which includes everyone from the custodial operations point to the physician ranks. Inside attacks are the primary threat, according to security experts.
The Center defines a breach as an event in which an individual name, Social Security Number, driver’s license number, medical record or a financial record/credit/debit card is potentially put at risk whether it’s in electronic or paper format.
To get an idea of what kinds of breaches are taking place and where, click here to read the Center’s 2010 ITRC Break Report and Breach Stats Report.
In one case a former university medical center worker access fellow employee social security numbers to complete surveys that won him hundreds of dollars in vouchers for an online retail shopping excursion. The theft of a hard drive at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing required the agency to reach out and notify 105,470 clients that their state ID numbers had been compromised.
Data breaches not only can damage a healthcare facility’s reputation, and the requisite trust factor between patients and care takers, it can cost some big bucks.
According to industry analyst estimates, a data breach can cost a company between $100 and $200 per compromised record.
By: Judy Mottl
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