Cybersecurity Archives

Learning from 2019’s Ransomware Epidemic

by Sarah Badahman | Feb 19, 2020 | Cybersecurity, Security

In 2019, 764 healthcare providers were hit with ransomware. These organizations temporarily or permanently lost their medical records, had to redirect patients or cancel non-emergency procedures, and some even closed their doors for good. According to an Emsisoft...

9 Q&As That Explain HIPAA Security Rule Safeguards

by Sarah Badahman | Apr 17, 2019 | Cybersecurity, Security

Administrative Safeguards Physical Safeguards Technical Safeguards The Security Rule defines administrative safeguards as “administrative actions, and policies and procedures, to manage the selection, development, implementation, and maintenance of security measures...

Myth vs. Fact: Security Risk Analysis

by Sarah Badahman | Feb 20, 2019 | Cybersecurity, Security

As a company that handles protected health information (PHI), HIPAA requires you to analyze how you manage risks to your PHI. This is known as a security risk analysis (SRA). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says risk analyses are vital to HIPAA...

Phishing: Don’t Take the Bait

by Sarah Badahman | Dec 21, 2018 | Cybersecurity, Security

Because healthcare organizations hold a wealth of sensitive information, they’ve been prime targets of phishing attacks for years. In a 2018 report by Merlin International, 62% of respondents (healthcare organizations) had experienced a cyberattack in the last year,...

Does HIPAA Require Encryption?

by Sarah Badahman | Jun 21, 2018 | Cybersecurity, Security

In 2012-2013, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center had three data breaches involving unencrypted devices. An unencrypted laptop had been stolen from an employee’s home, and they had lost two unencrypted USB thumb drives. These incidents compromised the...

HIPAA Tip: Password Security

by Sarah Badahman | Jan 8, 2018 | Cybersecurity, HIPAA Training, Security

An employee complains about having to change their password yet again. After minutes spent crafting the new password, they jot it down on a sticky note and stick it to their monitor. Sound familiar? Creating and remembering complex passwords is the bane of healthcare...