The Importance of Cybersecurity for Patient Data Protection and How to Protect It

With the world becoming more digital than ever, the healthcare industry too is relying heavily on digital systems and what fuels them: patient data. Through electronic health records (EHRs), eRx and telehalth platforms, sensitive information about patients such as medical histories, diagnoses and even insurance information are collected and then stored on systems managed by healthcare institutions. The sensitive nature of this data makes it a prime target for cyberattacks.

As such, the protection of this sensitive patient data has become a critical issue for all involved. Especially because the healthcare sector’s swift move towards digitization is also exposing patient data to significant cybersecurity risks. Cyberattacks targeting patient data are on the rise, with potentially devastating consequences for individuals and even healthcare providers.

Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting and exploiting weaknesses in systems that hold sensitive patient data through methods like phishing, ransomware, and even hacking connected medical devices. As a result, cases of data theft from healthcare institutions have also gone up over the years. Data published by the European Commission revealed that in 2023, there were 309 significant cybersecurity incidents1 targeting the healthcare sector across EU countries. And in February 2024 alone, a major ransomware attack knocked 100 Romanian hospitals offline2.

The biggest culprit here appears to be the lack of preparedness of the healthcare industry to tackle cybercrimes. As the data suggests, most cases of patient data breaches are not because of sophisticated hardware hacks, but a consequence of much simpler ransomware attacks.

Sample this: A 2024 European Commission report claimed that 71% of cyberattacks3 that either ended up delaying treatment, diagnosis, or impaired emergency services were ransomware attacks. Another high-profile incident that highlights this trend is the ransomware attack on Synnovis, a pathology services provider for NHS England in June 2024. This attack disrupted patient care across London hospitals, leading to a 96% drop in blood tests and the cancellation of numerous medical procedures.

The above data only goes to highlight one thing: The healthcare sector’s cybersecurity maturity remains moderate, with scope for significant improvement existing across entities – healthcare providers, healthcare institutions, Erx and EHR platforms.

True Impact of Patient Data Theft

The true impact of such thefts goes beyond just patient identities being compromised. In the case of a major breach, it can cripple systems of critical medical care, or at the least, leave them disrupted. Apart from these, theft of patient data also threatens the financial stability of a healthcare institution as these breaches are also followed by regulatory fines, penalties and legal costs from lawsuits. When it comes to healthcare, data breaches carry severe consequences, impacting organizations, patients, and compliance frameworks.

In 2023, the average cost of a healthcare data breach reached $10.9 million4, factoring in fines, lawsuits, and the time and money spent on recovery of data. Over and above this, are regulatory penalties that can run into millions -- GDPR breaches in the EU can reach €20 million or 4% of annual turnover, whichever is higher. Data breaches and theft of patient data also leave organizations facing litigation from affected patients.

A big reason the healthcare sector is a prime target for cybercriminals is because of the high value of patient data on the black market. This is because medical records contain important details, such as local identity numbers, birth dates, family information, addresses and phone numbers.

For patients, data theft hits where it hurts the most. It compromises privacy and exposes sensitive details like health records or information about chronic conditions. The anxiety of data being stolen aside, what’s worse is this stolen information can be used to commit medical fraud. For example, cybercriminals can use it to file fake insurance claims or obtain prescription drugs, potentially impacting healthcare delivery for a patient. A 2021 study by the Identity Theft Resource Center found that 66% of healthcare breach victims5 reported stress or financial loss, underscoring the human cost.

Loss of Trust in Healthcare Systems

Another lesser talked about cost of data theft is the fact that it erodes trust in healthcare systems. Factoring in the circumstances under which patients share their data with healthcare institutions, they expect their sensitive information to remain confidential. While there are regulatory frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that attempt to ensure patient data remains safe, patients also expect healthcare institutions to do their utmost in this regard.

Data breaches chip away at the trust that exists between patients and the healthcare sector, which in turn can impact the delivery of effective care. When sensitive information—such as diagnoses, treatments, or personal identifiers—is stolen at a healthcare provider’s end, patients feel betrayed, questioning whether providers can safeguard their privacy. This leads to hesitation at the patient’s end in disclosing sensitive information which disrupts the process of communication between a healthcare professional (HCP) and the patient – a process that’s essential for accurate diagnoses and treatment, directly impacting overall health outcomes.

The patient’s hesitation to share insurance or other personal data also leads to delays in insurance claims, ultimately straining the already overburdened system. Apart from this, as trust in digital systems erodes, patients may also attempt to avoid telehealth platforms or EHRs, thus putting the brakes on what is otherwise a smooth functioning digital healthcare system.

Overtime, the true cost of repeated breaches could also reflect in the diversion of public funds and the shifting of focus away from improving care delivery and healthcare infrastructure. Instead, it moves to strengthening existing regulations and ensuring compliance of laws. While the latter is important, it is important to understand that it’s still a move of damage control rather than preventing the problem itself.

How Cybercriminals Threaten Patient Data

Before understanding how healthcare institutions can protect patient data, it is important to first understand the threats they face:

Phishing

Phishing attacks are one of the leading causes of data breaches. In such attacks, cybercriminals gain access to networks hosting sensitive data through innocuous means such as sending fraudulent emails or texts, tricking the receiver into revealing login credentials or clicking on a malicious link.

Ransomware

Ransomware attacks are serious in nature as they can cripple entire healthcare systems. Such attacks also start from a cybercriminal accessing a host system through a fraudulent email or text. However, once accessed, the cybercriminal locks the healthcare provider out of critical systems until a ransom is paid. This not only leads to the breach of sensitive patient data but also disturbing the healthcare delivery process indefinitely.

Unsecured Devices and Networks

Other key areas of vulnerability are unsecured devices and networks. Due to the nature of the sector, healthcare providers extensively use IoT devices like smart monitors and telehealth tools. However, many of these devices are not setup properly to defend themselves against cyberattacks. Lack robust security protocols or running outdated software make them an easy target for exploitation. Weak Wi-Fi access points in clinics or hospitals also serve as a gateway for hackers who can intercept unencrypted data transmissions flowing with EHR and eRx platforms.

Strategies to Protect Patient Data

Safeguarding patient data is not a straightforward process. With many layers involved, it requires a multi-layered approach to combat the menace of cyberattacks and safeguard sensitive patient data from being breached. For a healthcare institution in possession of patient data, here’s what can be done to minimize the cases of data breaches and theft.

1. Implementing Strong Access Controls

One of the easiest ways to limit cases of data theft is to limit access to systems and networks that host patient data to only those who need it. Using role-based access control and multi-factor authentication can limit access to data. Adding verification methods for identity such as biometric authentication can also ensure accountability.

Segmenting access to data based on roles also limits unwanted access to patient data. For example, the finance team at a hospital should not have access to patient medical history and diagnosis unless necessary and approved by the medical team. Similarly, an HCP should not gain access to a patient’s financial information stored by the healthcare institution. This simple move can improve the security of patient data significantly.

2. Encrypt Data

Patient data within a healthcare institution travels across multiple points—healthcare providers (HCPs), finance departments, insurance providers, pharmacies, and administrative staff. This data flows through the institution’s network – through EHRs, eRx and billing systems -- creating numerous opportunities for cybercrime.

Without safeguards, hackers can easily intercept unencrypted transmissions, exposing sensitive details like medical histories. As such, encryption of data flowing through the network is an important step in the defence against data breaches as it transforms this flowing data into an unreadable format that can only be deciphered with a unique digital key held securely by the healthcare provider.

This ensures that even if intercepted—say, via a compromised Wi-Fi network or phishing attack—the data remains useless to attackers.

3. Invest in Cybersecurity Systems

Investing in cybersecurity systems is essential for healthcare institutions to protect patient data. As ransomware and phishing attacks become more sophisticated, basic defences against these are bound to fail. As such, healthcare institutions need to invest in robust systems, including hardware, firewalls, intrusion detection tools, and AI-driven threat monitoring systems to create shield that can identifying and neutralizing risks.

AI-based systems can be used to monitor network activity and scan it for any unusual movement. Such systems can also be used to flag any breach as it happens to ensure quick response to attacks. Investing in modern-hardware and updated software is also an important step in securing patient data.

Apart from this, investing in secure cloud backups can also prove to be an important weapon when dealing with a case of ransomware. While upfront costs of these infrastructural additions may may seem high, they are offset by the savings made at the end of what would otherwise be millions in fines, lawsuits, and the unquantifiable cost of losing patient trust.

4. Train Staff Regularly

Human error remains one of the leading causes of healthcare data breaches, with employees at healthcare institutions falling prey to phishing attacks and leaving networks vulnerable because of weak password selection. To stop cybercriminals exploiting this vulnerability, healthcare institutions should facilitate regular training sessions.

They should be made aware about the methods that cyber attackers use and be given knowledge that’ll help them spot phishing attempts. Suffice to say, a well-informed employee can be the first line of defence in the fight against cybercrime against the healthcare sector.

5. Secure IoT and Mobile Devices

Securing connected medical devices, such as smart monitors and telehealth tools is also an important step in ensuring the safety of patient health data. Segmenting IoT devices from main networks by keeping them on a more proactively guarded secure network can help contain breaches.

Healthcare institutions can also invest in Mobile device management (MDM) solutions which enhance security by enabling remote wipes of lost or stolen devices holding patient data, such as tablets used by clinicians.

6. Partner with Reputable Vendors

Healthcare providers often partner with third-party clients for various services and in some cases also provide limited access to their EHR and eRx platforms to partners for helping improve healthcare delivery. However, in such cases, it is of utmost importance that these partners are chosen after proper verification and must possess certification to verify that they comply with data security regulations such as GDPR in the EU and HIPAA in the United States.

Securing patient data an ongoing journey

The importance of cybersecurity for protecting sensitive patient data cannot be ignored. By implementing robust security measures, including encryption and controlling access to data, healthcare institutions can mitigate risks and protect patient health data against cybercrimes.

Over and above, it is also important to remember cybersecurity is an ongoing journey, not a one-time fix. It requires constant vigilance and investment and an approach that’s based in constantly evolving to adopt new technologies and adherence to compliance of existing laws.

Foot Notes:

1. https://commission.europa.eu/news/bolstering-cybersecurity-healthcare-sector-2025-01-15_en
2. https://www.securityweek.com/ransomware-attack-knocks-100-romanian-hospitals-offline/
3.https://industrialcyber.co/medical/new-eu-action-plan-set-to-protect-hospitals-healthcare-providers-against-rising-cybersecurity-threats/
4.https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/healthcare-data-breach-costs-2024-ibm-ponemon-institute/722958/
5. https://www.idtheftcenter.org/post/2024-annual-data-breach-report-near-record-compromises/

--Issue 05--