Healthcare Data Breaches: Is 2015 The Year of the Cyber Attack?

From Anthem to Premera Blue Cross, healthcare data breaches have been buzzing in our news feed since the beginning of 2015. But did you know that five of the biggest data breaches in the healthcare industry occurred this year? And that, by some counts, more than 92 million individuals had been affected by healthcare breaches in 2015 already — just through May?

via Forbes

Unfortunately, it’s been a big year for cyber attacks. According to Bloomberg Business, a report found that nearly 90 percent of healthcare providers were hit by breaches over the prior two years, roughly half of them criminal in nature. While many organizations are buffing up on security and creating awareness around the important issues of cybersecurity in healthcare, a recent KPMG survey found that only 66% of providers feel prepared for a cyber attack. Take a look at our blog post “The Real Cost of Data Breaches” to understand what types of breaches happen and the costs associated with them. In the meantime, here are four infographics offering some scary insight into the world of healthcare data and data breaches.

1. Cybersecurity Pulse 2015 Survey — HIMSS

via HIMSS

2. Healthcare Data Breaches: Impact & Causes — CynergisTek

via CynergisTek

3. 2015 Data Breaches: The Facts — HIPAA Journal

via HIPAA Journal

4. Why Is Healthcare Information So Valuable? — KPMG

Patient records are far more valuable to fraudsters than credit card information, because the personal data they contain can’t easily be changed. As KPMG’s Michael Ebert has noted, a key goal for executives is to strengthen their institutions’ defenses and create hurdles for hackers.

— Michael Ebert, leader in KPMG’s Healthcare & Life Sciences Cyber Practice