Cyberattacks have long plagued senior living and nursing homes at higher rates than many other industries, research shows. Cyber criminals often hack into vulnerable systems to steal valuable patient and employee data for use in identity theft schemes. However, one new approach is being touted as a way to address these concerns.
Healthcare was the industry most impacted by cyber attacks in 2022, with 35% of attacks targeting the healthcare industry, up from 33% in 2021, according to Black Kite’s 2023 Third Party Breach Report.
Cyber criminals prey on senior living and healthcare because of its sensitive and expensive data and lack of network security, experts say. Global cyberattacks against the healthcare industry are up 74% from last year, with most breaches caused by hacking, while human error accounts for 20%, according to recent research.
To prevent these threats, many healthcare organizations are taking a zero-trust approach to security that requires all users, inside and outside an organization’s network, to be authenticated, authorized and validated for security configuration before getting access to applications and data. It’s something senior living operators should consider to protect resident and employee data, observers say.
Adoption of the zero-trust approach in the private sector stems from the federal government establishing a zero-trust strategy and recently updating its guidance for other industries like healthcare in using it to address cybersecurity concerns.
The benefits of zero trust extend beyond an improved security posture, Jeremy Weiss, an executive security strategist with CDW, told HealthTech Magazine. Implementing zero-trust principles can help healthcare organizations reduce their technical debt and build more efficient operational processes, he said.
The data stored in nursing home and senior living communities’ systems has become lucrative for bad actors, according to LeadingAge’s cybersecurity whitepaper. It notes the value of information, combined with weak security defenses, makes healthcare a popular hunting ground for cybercriminals.
