Like many healthcare organizations, senior living communities are particularly vulnerable to cybercrime, as their networks contain sensitive personal information and financial data that is valuable on the dark web.
As more cybersecurity threats emerge, it’s important to fully understand how to implement proper cyber risk management in senior living communities as well as best practices for safeguarding elderly residents from online threats.
Let’s review some of the common cyberattacks affecting today’s senior living communities.
With the wealth of personally identifiable information (PII) and financial account data that a senior living community’s network stores, the effects of a cyberattack could be devastating to both facility operations and the residents who live there.
A patient may have their healthcare data compromised. Financial losses could occur from hacked bank accounts. And the facility, itself, could suffer damage to its reputation.
Before a senior living center can put stronger cybersecurity protocols in place, a thorough cyber risk assessment must be conducted. Cybersecurity for senior care facilities is unique and requires a thoughtful, strategic approach.
Here are 4 steps for assessing cyber risk in senior living centers and using that information to establish a risk management framework.
Along with a thorough assessment, it’s important to develop a culture within your senior living center. This starts with educating your staff and residents regarding cybersecurity best practices (creating strong passwords, safe browsing, etc.).
You should also regularly conduct IT security awareness training. Discuss how to recognize suspicious activity and deliver cybersecurity hygiene tips.
Assessing cybersecurity threats and establishing frameworks are good starting points, but implementing cybersecurity measures is also crucial.
Be sure not to overlook these critical components:
Securing your network is a critical starting point for cybersecurity in healthcare facilities. A secure network design and segmentation should be in place.
Use firewalls and establish intrusion detection systems. Set up regularly occurring vulnerability scanning and patch management to keep the system clean.
Protect all devices by installing antivirus and anti-malware software. Encryption and data protection on devices are also helpful. Secure remote access if remote workers or third-party vendors access your system off-site.
Implementing a backup and disaster recovery strategy is imperative to reducing downtime and ensuring business continuity in the event of an attack.
Ensure data is routinely backed up and keep procedures current. Use off-site storage and cloud solutions and test and validate data restoration measures.
Protecting Healthcare Facilities and Organizations from Cybersecurity Risks
With continuous improvement and adaptation, it’s possible to thwart cyberattacks and breaches and avoid disasters to secure the long-term success of a senior living center.
If you need assistance evaluating, developing, and implementing your risk management framework, our team at SSI can help. Contact us today.