Cybersecurity

Major breaches of private data show that some organizations are faltering on fundamental steps to protect their systems, says Wes Wright of Ordr Inc.

Many health systems and healthcare companies have suffered cyberattacks, or they’ve been affected by a breach of a vendor in the first six months of the year. Millions of Americans have been affected.

The health system announced that its digital patient records are now available across the system. Ascension says the breach occurred when an employee downloaded a malicious file.

The government must go beyond voluntary compliance, says U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden. He cited the disruption from the Change Healthcare cyberattack, which has hurt hospitals nationwide.

Hospitals see fewer patients after they suffer cyberattacks, and a new study offers more insight into how other nearby hospitals are affected by breaches.

Due to budget constraints and staffing challenges, hospitals and other healthcare organizations tend to be more vulnerable to attacks, experts say.

A survey of cybersecurity pros finds some breaches aren’t being disclosed because employees fear they’ll lose their jobs. Kevin Pierce of VikingCloud talks about the report and cyberattacks in healthcare.

Hospitals and clinics remain open, but patient care is still being affected. The health system says it is making progress in restoring systems.

The health system continues to work to recover from a ransomware attack. Some hospitals continue to divert ambulances.

The Catholic health system says it’s continuing to work to restore systems, but there’s no timeline for full restoration.

The Catholic health system disclosed that the attack is affecting patient care, and some appointments are being postponed. Key systems are now offline.

Several groups representing hospitals sent a joint letter to CEO Andrew Witty to take responsibility for reaching out to those affected. He has said many Americans are likely affected.

The Change Healthcare cyberattack shows how health systems are extremely vulnerable to breaches involving their vendors.

Lawmakers criticized Andrew Witty for insufficient cybersecurity protection and the lack of clarity on how many have been affected by the data breach.

The head of the Department of Veterans Affairs said this week that notifications were sent out to veterans and families. The VA says there’s no reports of patient harm.

The California-based organization says it is notifying current and former members of its health plan. Health data breaches have affected millions of Americans.

UnitedHealth Group says it could take months to identify all those impacted. The data breach is posing headaches for hospitals.

In the wake of the Change Healthcare attack, regulators may look more closely at protections for data privacy as they examine deals, experts say.

At a hearing in Washington, House members posed many questions in the attack that has hurt hospitals, physician practices and providers of all kinds.

During a House panel hearing on the attack, hospital and health industry leaders urge lawmakers to help deal with attacks from ransomware groups.

Physician practices, along with hospitals and health systems, have taken a serious financial hit from the Change Healthcare cyberattack.

Several suits have already been filed and others are expected due to the ransomware attack that has affected hospitals and providers nationwide.

Rick Pollack discussed the cyberattack and its ramifications at the Hospital + Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania Leadership Summit.

Nicole Stallings, CEO of the Hospital + Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania, spoke with Chief Healthcare Executive at the group’s leadership summit.

The parent company of Change Healthcare has sent more money to providers, and members of Congress want to know more about the incident. Nearly all hospitals have been affected.

Lawmakers should lift restrictions on the federal government to help providers get assistance more quickly, the American Hospital Association says.

Health system leaders know the financial risks of cyberattacks, as shown by the Change Healthcare attack. Now, they are seeing cybersecurity is essential to protecting patients.

Most providers have been affected in some way by the ransomware attack, but it’s been more damaging to those with fewer resources.

The healthcare technology conference was dominated by talks about AI in healthcare and ransomware attacks. It was the first conference since Informa Markets began managing the event.

The company has processed claims for health systems and physicians affected by the Change Healthcare cyberattack, handling more than $5 billion in claims.