Privacy & Security (300)

AI, cybersecurity, telehealth, reimbursement, plus a change in the administration promise an interesting year ahead. Healthcare IT News, Healthcare Finance News and MobiHealthNews editors discuss.

Chike Okeke, CISO at Concord Technologies, talks about the importance of safeguarding protected health information, calling it one of the most sensitive classes of data around.

To get there, make it simple for patients to access, which is one of a triage of benefits that also include identity consent and security, says Janice Reese, program manager of FAST (FHIR at Scale Task Force).

The need for robust coordination on cybersecurity threats will push both parties to cooperate in 2025 despite leadership changes, says Cliff Steinhauer, information security and engagement director at the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

Hospitals need to effectively utilize their cybersecurity staff with the various functions needed and decide what should be outsourced, says Lee Kim, senior principal of cybersecurity and privacy at HIMSS.

Adam Greene, attorney and partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, advises healthcare buyers on documentation for any potential red flags.

Scattered Spider suspects are between 19 and 22 and use sophisticated ransomware such as ALPHV Black Cat that was used on Change Healthcare and others, says Troy Adams, cyber engagement specialist at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Laquan Black, assistant professor of Health Information Technology at Guttman Community College CUNY, says HIMSS Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum allows her to bring real-world issues back to the classroom.

Every country, every government is concerned with protecting data and training its workforce to be prepared for a cyberattack, says Tom Leary, senior vice president and head of government relations at HIMSS.

The architecture to develop security programs is shifting as providers manage a larger number of partners in the supply chain and in hospital at home programs, says Anahi Santiago, CISO at ChristianaCare.

HIPAA is a baseline to new regulations that include incident reporting within 72 hours, says George Pappas, healthcare cybersecurity expert and the CEO of Intraprise Health.

The Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum affirms reasons for those efforts, including saving lives and directing future initiatives, says Ian Mack, IT senior security analyst for the University of Virginia and HIMSS Virginia Chapter communications chair.