Inside CHIME: Cybersecurity Survey Shines Light on Top Concerns of CHIME, AEHIS Members

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Weinstock 70x70 10.27.16 by Matthew Weinstock
Director of Communications and Public Relations, CHIME

CHIME and AEHIS share results of a new cybersecurity survey with a federal task force.

As part of its ongoing effort to understand cybersecurity issues facing the industry, the Department of Health and Human Services Cybersecurity Task Force yesterday reviewed data from a new CHIME-AEHIS survey that assesses member concerns about security threats.

The survey of nearly 200 CHIME and AEHIS members cited social engineering, data theft and internal threats as the most common cybersecurity threats facing their organizations. Malware and ransomware ranked as the top ways that cyber criminals are exploiting weaknesses. CHIME Vice President for Federal Affairs Mari Savickis presented the findings to the task force. Mandated by the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, the task force is charged with analyzing the unique challenges and barriers to cybersecurity in healthcare. It is also studying how other industries are protecting data.

Survey findings also show that healthcare organizations need greater assistance from federal agencies to improve information sharing and threat assessments. Nearly 65 percent of respondents said that they were somewhat confident or not confident at all that federal legislators understand the importance of security enough to support key policy initiatives being advocated by healthcare organizations.

Survey respondents said that the federal government should develop tools for providers of different sizes and level of resources. Smaller organizations with limited resources often have a different set of needs than large health systems. Respondents also called on lawmakers to adopt incentives that will encourage greater information sharing, including protecting organizations that voluntarily work to improve security across the delivery system from punitive government audits.

The HHS task force is expected to deliver its report on cybersecurity in healthcare early next year. Click here for a copy of the survey data.

More Inside CHIME Volume 1, No. 29: