HHS: EMRs still a top target for cyber criminals

The latest threat brief from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Information Security and Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) reviews the top cyber threats to electronic medical records and best practices to help health care organizations prevent, detect and respond to this growing threat. 
 
“The HC3 report highlights the current methodology cyber adversaries use to target EMRs,” said John Riggi, AHA’s national advisor for cybersecurity and risk. “These attacks have significantly increased the theft of protected health information (PHI), and in the case of ransomware attacks, may delay and disrupt health care delivery. According to information posted by the HHS Office for Civil Rights, most health care data thefts appear to occur in locations outside the EMR, such as at third parties, email systems and medical devices. It is recommended that all PHI, regardless of location, be mapped and encrypted at rest and in transit.” 
 
For more information on this or other cyber and risk issues, contact Riggi at jriggi@aha.org. For the latest cyber and risk resources and threat intelligence, visit aha.org/cybersecurity.