Nov 20, 2017
According to a report from Health IT Security, more than one-fourth of healthcare organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom would pay a ransomware demand as a way of mitigating the impact of a cyberattack. The survey’s findings showed that many healthcare IT professionals lack the confidence in their organization’s infrastructure to respond to and manage cyberattacks. This is a troubling reality, as no healthcare organization should have to negotiate with intruders to recover their protected data.
Taking a solely reactive approach to responding to cyberattacks is not the best solution, and it could prove to be a rather costly one. This is especially true when private patient data and other confidential information is on the line. Even if a hospital CISO agrees to meet the ransomware demands, there is still no guarantee that the intruder will return what they have stolen. Complying with the opposition will prove a losing scenario for the healthcare organization more often than a winning one. Rather than waiting for the attack to happen, organizations should implement a security regimen that is proactive and designed to prevent intrusions before they even occur.
One of the first steps that a healthcare organization should take toward preventing cyberattacks is implementing a secure method for document delivery. As we’ve covered previously, a large majority of security pitfalls stem from instances of unintended disclosure; such as using email in place of fax or using unsecured IoT devices. These situations are avoidable and happen largely because the organization’s personnel are not following the proper communication protocols to ensure the security of sensitive information.
Online faxing services provide the answer to a healthcare organization’s need for secure document delivery. Unlike email, fax does not bounce around multiple servers with varying levels of security. Using a network like the etherFAX Secure Exchange Network (SEN) allows the user to send patient data directly to the receiving party at speeds comparable to or faster than email without taking any detours along the way. Additionally, SEN leverages military-grade encryption and hybrid cloud technology to ensure 100% secure, HIPAA compliant communications with a confirmation of delivery provided to the sender each time they transmit a document. This erases any worries that sensitive information could be compromised when en route to the receiving party.
Want to see what 100% secure communications could do for your organization? Contact us today to see how we can help you.