Cybersecurity news for hospitals and health systems

On March 31, UPMC will begin making payments to 66,000 employees who were victims of a 2014 data breach, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

A call between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and 13,000 private cybersecurity workers revealed frustrations and confusion regarding federal cyberattack reporting policies, reported The Washington Post March 28. 

A chatroom run by a group of Russian-affiliated hackers detailed plans in 2020 to attack and disable 400 U.S. hospitals, The Wall Street Journal reported March 29.

The healthcare industry could become the target of Russian cyberattacks if NATO becomes involved in the war in Ukraine, Politico reported March 27.

Microsoft released an urgent notice March 22 confirming it has been a target of Lapsus$, a data exfiltration and destruction cybergroup, allegedly led by a 16-year-old.

Campbellsville, Ky.-based Taylor Regional Hospital notified its patients that a cybersecurity incident, which began with a hack of its systems, led to patient information being exposed.

INDIANAPOLIS — March 24, 2022 — TRIMEDX, an industry-leading, technology-enabled provider of clinical engineering, medical device cybersecurity, and clinical asset management solutions, announced new features that will help healthcare systems reduce medical device cybersecurity risks, bolster patient safety, and optimize…

Data breaches are a massive threat to healthcare providers, as they cause delayed care, financial loss and an erosion of patient trust. Despite providers' efforts to implement security protocols, data breaches remain rampant across the industry. 

In 2021, the share of residents whose protected health information was exposed in a data breach was 10 percent or more in 22 states, according to a March 23 Politico report.

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, cyberthreats persist. Here are five recent warnings issued by U.S. federal agencies about cyberthreats connected to the conflict: