Five best practices to protect patient privacy from insider threats

Due to the sensitive – and therefore valuable – patient data they hold, healthcare organisations have long been a highly attractive target of external security threats. That vulnerability was historically highlighted during the 2024 breach of Change Healthcare, the largest data breach ever reported. As a result of the attack, the protected health information of some 190 million individuals was compromised, and business operations were severely hampered.

But it’s essential to keep in mind that external threats are not the only risk at hand. In fact, insider threats account for the majority of all data breaches. Whether they stem from malicious acts, snooping, or errors, insider threats by inherently trusted staff with ready access can cause the most trouble. And the ripple effects of that trouble extend beyond patient privacy issues to an organisation’s operations, reputation, and financial health, including hefty HIPAA fines and penalties. Plus, it opens the door to the erosion of all-important patient trust. It’s clearly a growing concern that requires prompt attention and action.

Read the full article at healthcareitnews.com.