Increased Cyber Budget Calls for Healthcare to Invest in Digital Identity

Healthcare is experiencing an onslaught of challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic, increased cost and movement of labor, talent shortages, and the rise of telehealth options have upended the traditional healthcare environment. Cyberattacks pose more risk than ever, as government compliance measures and economic turbulence add to the overwhelming complexity. Naturally, healthcare demands continue unabated. Yet, there’s one challenge creating major barriers to growth: the lack of investment in aligned and integrated cybersecurity controls.

The Human Cost of Cyber Attacks

Healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs) are seeing cyber threats become more dangerous, sophisticated, and unfortunately, common. Thanks to rapid digitization, the attack surface area has expanded, giving bad actors more “opportunity” to pursue. In fact, recent research indicates that 99% of healthcare IT security leaders have experienced a cyberattack in the past 12 months. Plus, a new report from JAMA found that the private health information (PHI) of nearly 42 million people were exposed due to ransomware between 2016 and 2021.

The repercussions of attacks also have a human cost. A recent Imprivata report found that 32% of HDOs have been forced to divert patients to other healthcare facilities in the past year alone. Additionally, 31% said attacks have delayed procedures and tests, resulting in poor outcomes for patient care. Simply put, cyberattacks compromise healthcare’s ability to function and can lead to negative or even fatal outcomes. This alone calls for HDOs to develop a cybersecurity strategy that puts digital identity at the core, ensuring they can let the right people in and keep the wrong people out.

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