Should You Worry About Monitoring the Dark Web?

Want to know which industry has the most potential for criminal activity? If you guessed healthcare, you’re correct.

A study by Ponemon showed that nearly 90 percent of healthcare organizations had a data breach in the last two years. Roughly half of those had more than 5 data breaches during that time period.

And that data won’t be changing anytime soon. In Ponemon’s 2018 report, they found that the average healthcare data breach costs an average of $408 per record. That’s the highest for any industry, which averages out at $148 per record.

Healthcare records are extremely valuable because of the information they provide. With one click, they can open up the entire file on your life. Your name, address, birthday, billing codes, employment history, diagnosis information, possibly even your social security number, it’s right there waiting for them. And once they have all of that information in their hands, they can set up their own accounts, file false claims, buy and resell equipment and prescriptions, and maybe even file fraudulent tax returns using your information.

Criminals know this. That’s why they are forever on the hunt for a backdoor into a medical practice. Any medical practice will do. Even a few hundred records can be lucrative, with one report stating that patient records can sell for up to $1,000 each.

What should you do?

If you collect it, protect it. Before you take in your very next patient record, assume that someone else out there will be working hard to take it away from you.

While you shouldn’t spend your time traipsing around the dark web searching for leaked information, you should invest in securing your IT infrastructure. Investing in new technology is essential for staying on the cutting edge of medicine. But so too is patient information security. The older your records-keeping systems become, the weaker they are at protection.

You should also have a plan in place for when a breach occurs. Knowing what you’ll do and the steps you’ll take to protect yourself will ensure the least risk to your company as possible. Consult with professionals now before criminals knock on your door for opportunity.

For IT Strategy, Cloud Conversion, or Help Desk Services reach out to us at Silver Linings Technology 360-450-4759.