Contributed Content: 4 Ways Forward in The Aftermath of The Change Healthcare Attack
HealthLeaders Media
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Contributed by: Drex DeFord
Summary
In response to the rising cybersecurity challenges facing healthcare providers, highlighted by attacks like the one on Change Healthcare, Chris Van Gorder of Scripps Health advocates for a reevaluation of both the responsibilities and expectations placed on the sector. He criticizes the oversimplification of these issues by legislators and calls for updated, realistic cybersecurity requirements and more robust federal support to protect healthcare infrastructure against cyber threats. Van Gorder emphasizes the unique vulnerabilities of healthcare providers to cyberattacks, which not only incur significant financial losses but also put patient lives at risk, as demonstrated by Scripps Health's experience with a cyberattack in 2021. He proposes a four-pronged approach for moving forward, involving clearer government-led guidelines, protective measures for compliant organizations, funding for cybersecurity defenses, and a collective effort to reassess how healthcare cybersecurity is managed, stressing the necessity of safeguarding patient care from these evolving threats.
