The Business Digital Index (BDI) released by Cybernews reported that 65 of the 100 major hospitals in the U.S. and health systems have had a recent data breach.
Additionally, as shared by Morningstar, the report scores the cybersecurity efforts of 79 of these organizations with a D or lower, with 30% having critical issues to be fixed.
Even more scary is how 98% of the hospitals and health systems have experienced at least one data breach in their lifetime.
The health sector as a whole got an average security score of 72 (out of 100), which is considered high risk according to the report. This means that the health data of Americans is in danger of being stolen. It’s not a question of if, but when.
Unfortunately, safeguarding your health data is not only in your hands.
Hospitals and healthcare providers need to have access to your sensitive information. If they are breached, your data may end up in cybercriminals’ hands, and there’s nothing you can do. Or is there?
Although you can’t improve the security of the businesses you give your information to, there are a few steps you can take to mitigate the issues if your health data gets leaked:
Contact the entity that suffered the data breach: First things first, you need to get in touch with the healthcare provider (hospital, pharmacy, doctor’s office, etc.) that has been breached. They are required by law to investigate and let you know what information has been exposed.
Place a fraud alert on your credit reports: Bad actors might get access to your payment details. Contacting one of the three major credit bureaus and telling them your information might have been compromised ensures that creditors take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new accounts.
Closely monitor bank statements, credit reports, and medical bills: Look for any suspicious activity so you’re able to catch unauthorized payments quickly.
It’s a scary world that we’re living in. Now, more than ever, it’s essential that we take care of our online security and privacy.
Before working with a company, make sure to check and ask about the cybersecurity policies in place. If you don’t feel 100% secure, it’s better to take your business elsewhere.
At age five, Daniel had his first contact with a computer. Since then, his love for technology has never wavered. Although he graduated in Management, it was only when he created his Anime blog that he fell in love with content management. Five years later and he’s now the Content Manager at Best Reviews. When not getting trophies on PlayStation or watching Anime, you’ll find Daniel either reading a good book, gardening, or at the beach getting a tan.
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