Why Is Cyber-Security So Important to the Healthcare Industry?

cyber security

Healthcare is heavily reliant on technology these days, not just for hardware that can help cure illnesses but also when it comes to sending, retrieving, and storing data. Health informatics plays a crucial role in the healthcare industry because it makes it much more efficient. However, because of cyber threats, it means technology isn’t always reliable. Why do many healthcare entities concentrate on preventing cyber attacks by investing millions and why is cyber-security so important to the industry?

Population Is Growing Fast So Efficient Care Is Key

There were times when healthcare professionals had no choice but to spend hours filling out paperwork instead of caring for their patients. This was a time when care was inefficient and patients weren’t necessarily getting the care they needed, regardless of how hard healthcare professionals worked.

Preventing cyber attacks in this instance is especially important because without being able to use technical data stored within databases and networks, it means healthcare professionals can’t be as efficient. It’s especially important today when the population is growing so fast that even an efficient industry can’t keep up with it.

Cyber-Security Saves the Healthcare Industry Millions

When you look at how efficient healthcare is these days when compared to 20 years ago, it means fewer professionals are needed because of the technology available. It means professionals can care for patients more in an 8-hour shift than they could in a 12-hour shift because of less physical paperwork needs completing.

Technology makes it easier for professionals to send information to their colleagues and it also means documentation is much easier to store within networks, and thus, more room for more equipment and patient beds is available with less storage required.

It’s Especially Important to Patients

Cyber-security is probably more important to patients than it is to the healthcare industry. Criminals can use leaked information to sell on the black market which, in turn, can be used for identity theft, Medicare fraud, and for other financial gains. Also, preventing cyber attacks helps keep patient information confidential, which is important for legal reasons.

Leaked Patient Information Can Be Costly

One major benefit of cyber-security in the healthcare industry is that it helps prevent the leaking of patient information. As stated above, the healthcare industry saves money because professionals are much more efficient in the service they provide. However, that wouldn’t be a good enough reason to prevent cyber attacks alone. The cost of a lawsuit from leaked documents, for example, could spell the end for a healthcare entity, so cyber attack prevention is essential for that reason also.

If you have a masters in health informatics, which was obtained for example through the University of Cincinnati using an online MSHI program, you’ll already know how important health information and data can be to the healthcare industry.

Cyber attacks are still common throughout a variety of industries. However, thanks to cyber-security practices, the healthcare industry is getting much better at preventing attacks, which could prove to be critical in the future.

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