Washington, DC – October 12, 2021 - Today, Philips and the eHealth Initiative and Foundation (eHI) released a report entitled Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Challenges, Risks and the Path Forward. The report contains insights from an Executive Roundtable panel comprised of experts from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Intermountain Healthcare, the Healthcare and Public Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC), Cigna, Northwell and Philips. The report outlines the current state of cyberattacks on healthcare infrastructure, the consequences to patients and the health system as a whole, and work currently underway to shore up healthcare system cybersecurity.
“As digitization and virtual care expand at unparalleled speed throughout the industry, having an up-to-date, nimble, and accessible process for addressing cybersecurity issues is a must,” said Jonathan Bagnall, Cybersecurity Global Market Leader for Philips. “This can be a challenge for many, particularly small, under-resourced organizations that may lack the staff and budget to develop comprehensive plans. Any guidance, like this report, that provides the resources to build a more robust IT infrastructure is invaluable to the work of improving healthcare cybersecurity.”
Cybersecurity incidents against the healthcare sector increased by 55% in 2020, threatening not only national security but patient safety, causing ripple effects throughout the nation’s interconnected infrastructure. The report details the specific vulnerabilities of our healthcare cyber-defense systems and what is needed to strengthen them, as well as government efforts and public-private partnerships already underway to improve and modernize the country’s cybersecurity systems.
“The sharp rise in cyberattacks at healthcare systems across the country in the last year underscores the imperative for organizations to act now when it comes to addressing system weaknesses,” said Jen Covich Bordenick, CEO of eHealth Initiative. “Although the Covid-19 pandemic further exposed the impact of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and taxed limited IT resources, it has also fostered an environment for increased collaboration to ensure patient safety and improve outcomes.”
Download the report here.
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For any additional inquiries, please contact Alice Leiter.
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eHealth Initiative (eHI) convenes executives from every stakeholder group in healthcare to discuss, identify and share best practices to transform the delivery of healthcare using technology and innovation. eHI, along with its coalition of members, focuses on education, research, and advocacy to promote the use and sharing of data to improve health care. Our vision is to harmonize new technology and care models in a way that improves population health and consumer experiences. eHI has become a go-to resource for the industry through its eHealth Resource Center. For more information, visit www.ehidc.org.
About Philips Healthcare
Philips is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. To learn more, visit https://www.usa.philips.com/healthcare/resources/landing/interoperability-and-cybersecurity.