This year’s HIMSS24 will focus all day on a topic of increasing importance: cybersecurity Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum on Monday, March 11, presented by Erik Decker, Chief Information Security Officer at Intermountain Health.
Recent headlines about the major disruptions caused by the Change Healthcare cyber attack, described by the American Hospital Association as a “crime involving a threat to life”, the inset shows.
Add new vulnerabilities to an already fraught threat landscape – such as the integration of telehealth and remote care into the offerings of more and more healthcare systems, and it is clear that cybersecurity risks are at an all-time high.
Especially given the emerging threats to patient safety posed by compromised critical infrastructure and hacked medical devices, it is essential that hospitals and other healthcare organizations continually update their strategies and invest new resources to innovate their systems and stay ahead of evolving threats.
The Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum, which consists of a dozen individual lectures and panel discussions with thought leaders from across the industry, provides key insights to help achieve these goals. Sessions on March 11 will cover topics from protecting patient data to the changing regulations for the safety of medical technology products.
Other topics highlight the need for cybersecurity in technologies such as telehealth, remote monitoring and wearables, all aimed at advancing patient-centered care.
Forum participants will gain insight into industry leaders’ efforts to secure healthcare’s growing digital landscape and ensure data security inside and outside healthcare organizations.
One of the highlights will undoubtedly be the focus on ensuring that cybersecurity responsibilities are shared across the organisation: the five-strong panel, led by Richard Staynings, chief security strategist at Cylera, will discuss the significance of a collective commitment to cybersecurity.
Because cybersecurity goes beyond technical measures, it requires shared responsibility at all levels of an organization – from leadership to newcomers.
This session provides insights into fostering a collective commitment to online security within your institution and explores how leadership can set the tone and ensure everyone understands their role in the security landscape.
Participants will leave with actionable steps to improve cybersecurity standards across the organization and strategies to ensure all team members assume their responsibilities, which will ultimately improve security standards.
Jason Cook, AVP of sales engineering of Rubrick’s global partner organization, and the company’s Global Field Chief Security Officer/CISO John Murphy will focus their session on the issue of protecting patient data and will explore best practices for resilience in healthcare IT and security while addressing the industry’s unique challenges.
The back-to-back sessions,”Securing the modern connected hospital: IoT, IoMT and OT” And “MedTech Product Security: Navigating Changing Global Regulations,” will focus on the ever-expanding landscape of connected medical devices and operational technology, providing attendees with a closer look at the need for medical device security in light of evolving regulations.
As regulatory guidance and collaborative efforts across the supply chain begin to play an increasingly central role in improving medical device cybersecurity, these sessions will evaluate these roles and provide insight into practical actions for addressing medical device security challenges equipment and how to build advocacy with executive leadership.
With healthcare organizations under constant attack from malicious actors and fending off increasing cyber attacks, Troy Ament, healthcare industry leader at Palo Alto Networks, will concentrate his session on best practices for developing an incident response plan and facilitating comprehensive enterprise-wide tabletop exercises.
Participants will explore how hospital emergency management can effectively collaborate with information technology and cybersecurity teams to ensure seamless coordination during crises.
The discussion will also address common blind spots in real-time events and strategies to mitigate them, and will delve deeper into the role of partners in improving organizational protections, as well as provide guidance on evaluating the effectiveness of these resources.
HIMSS24 takes place March 11-15 in Orlando. More information and registration.
Nathan Eddy is a healthcare and technology freelancer based in Berlin.
Email the writer: nathaneddy@gmail.com
Twitter: @dropdeaded209