Healthcare Organizations are now a Prime Target for Cyberattacks during the COVID-19 Crisis

In 2018, there were 15 breached personal records in the US Healthcare Industry. It jumped to 40 million in 2019, and it looks like 2020 will be even worse.

On Saturday, March 14th 2020, Hammersmith Medicines Research (HMR Ltd) was attacked by Maze, a cybercriminal organization. They stole medical records as well as employee records. On March 21st, Maze leaked more than 2,300 medical records of patients and employees.

Closer to home, Canada’s spy agency CSIS issued a national security risk about the rise of economic espionage in Canada.

CSIS reported "an increased risk of foreign interference and espionage due to the extraordinary effort of our businesses and research centres."

"As a result, CSIS is working with these organizations to ensure that their work and proprietary information remains safely in their control. Its focus is on protecting Canadian intellectual property from these threats — and jobs and economic interests with it."

Whether you are in the healthcare industry or not, all companies should consider reminding all employees of the following basic security principles:

· Be careful opening attachments and links from any sources, known or unknown. Phishing or other malicious emails can easily be disguised as alerts about COVID-19.

· Try to only use trusted sources, for example, the Government of Canada’s official COVID-19 website, for receiving up-to-date information about the outbreak: Canada.ca/COVID19

· Never respond to emails or phone calls asking for personal or financial information, usernames, or passwords.

· Be careful making donations and reject any request for donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money.

· Remind the increased numbers of employees who may be working remotely to use good security for any remote connections, such as VPNs, especially if they are accessing protected health information.

At Oraman we have been closely watching the news regarding COVID-19 and putting measures in place to help better protect our clients and employees.

Our team of experts are dedicated to delivering a reliable and high-quality service that small to medium-sized businesses can rely on.

We are ready to help you develop strategies for not only surviving but thriving, in the future. Give us a call today to set up your first consultation.