Rising Cybersecurity Threats in Healthcare: Protecting Patient Data and Operations from Disruption

Health care organizations are facing a growing cybersecurity risk, according to Shawn Tuma, JD, CIPP/US of Spencer Fane LLP. During a panel discussion titled “Guardians of Confidentiality: Navigating Cybersecurity & Data Privacy in Oncology,” the dangers of cyber attacks in the medical industry were highlighted and how they can have negative consequences for patients, payers, and care teams.

Tuma emphasized that protecting the confidentiality and privacy of patient data is still a primary concern, but recent events have shown the importance of considering operational capabilities in relation to cybersecurity risks. In his opinion, cyber threats pose the greatest risk to health care organizations as they can disrupt operations and cause significant damage in a short period of time.

Tuma pointed out that cyber attacks not only affect the practice itself but also impact valuable partners in the supply chain such as Change Healthcare. This highlights the interconnected nature of cybersecurity risks within the health care sector. Overall, Tuma believes that addressing cybersecurity is crucial for health care organizations to protect their operations and data.