Improving Cyber Readiness in the Healthcare Sector

Improving Cyber Readiness in the Healthcare Sector

As far as data breaches and cyberattacks are concerned, 2020 was a record-breaking year for nearly all types of entities and businesses. Due to COVID-19, companies had an added constraint to defend themselves digitally. In a recent report, IBM revealed that the cost of data breaches had risen by nearly 10% between 2020 (USD 3.86 million) and 2021 (USD 4.24 million).

Healthcare facilities often lag in adopting strong cybersecurity protocols. In the healthcare sector, most data breaches are caused by staff, whether they are intentional or unintentional. This includes human errors such as sharing sensitive information with the wrong person.

A compromised IT system or other critical health device can have disastrous consequences for patients as well. Hence, healthcare providers should incorporate cybersecurity into their operational strategy and promote best security practices across all their departments.

Talal Shaikh, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences in Heriot-Watt University Dubai, discusses how and why CIOs and CISOs in healthcare organisations must adopt and ensure stronger security measures.