Healthcare Data Breaches Have Grown 125 Percent in Five Years

By | May 26th, 2015|Breach, Uncategorized|

Healthcare BreachThere has been a noticeable uptick in the number of criminal attacks against healthcare facilities in the last five years. Ponemon recently released its Fifth Annual Benchmark Study on Privacy and Security of Healthcare Data, which shared a 125 percent increase in cyber attacks targeting healthcare data. The major shift in healthcare data breaches, according to the study, is that cyber criminals are intentionally targeting and exploiting healthcare data rather than accidentally coming across it during their exploits.

This shift in active pursuit of healthcare data shows that cyber criminals understand the value of healthcare data on the black market. Through our recent research, we have found that a medical identity, which includes a name, address, Social Security and health ID numbers, sells for $50 on the black market. A Social Security number sells for $1 and an active credit card sells for $3. A major contributing factor to the increase in healthcare breaches may also be due to the shift to digital healthcare records. Starting this year, healthcare facilities that do not show “meaningful use” of electronic health records are penalized, causing facilities to scramble to put records online.

The healthcare industry is a green market when it comes to following best security practices, which is why we’ve put together the top three ways healthcare organizations can keep their patient records secure:

  1. Educate employees. The most important part of having a secure network is making sure your employees are compliant with security standards. Educate employees on how medical identity theft happens and what to do from a HIPAA standpoint to keep patient data safe.
  1. Track, encrypt and password-protect mobile devices. Employees are connected via mobile devices more than ever, whether or not you have a formal BYOD policy. Be sure to create a policy that puts strict limits on how patient data can be viewed and shared on devices.
  1. Create an identity crisis response plan. If your healthcare data is breached, make sure to have a crisis plan in place, including communication with patients. Maintain the plan by training staff on relevant policies and procedures.

Are you surprised by the value of medical identities on the black market? How else can the healthcare industry get up to speed on best security practices? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

ID360 Conference Sneak-Peek

By | April 29th, 2015|Uncategorized|

ID360It’s hard to believe this year’s ID360 Conference is already around the corner (May 5-6). The event, put on annually by our friends at the UT Center for Identity, brings together stakeholders and industry experts from the private sector, government and academia to discuss the latest research and most forward thinking ideas around identity management.

We’re excited about the theme this year, “The Identity Economy,” and look forward to hearing how other speakers address approach the topic. From our end, here’s a sneak peek of what we’ll be talking about next week:

  • Finding a Cure for Medical Identity Theft: Did you know a medical identity has a $50 street value whereas a social security number in comparison only sells for $1? This is just one reason why we’re seeing more and more cases of medical identity theft. CSID President Joe Ross will dive in to why medical identity theft is on the rise, how it happens, why medical identities are seen as so lucrative from a cybercriminal’s perspective, and what steps healthcare organizations can take right now to protect themselves.
  • Securing Digital Wallets Before Majority Adoption: Digital wallet and mobile payment methods are gaining momentum among consumers and retailers. They’re also gaining the attention and enthusiasm of cybercriminals – who are looking to reap the rewards of mobile payments transactions. CSID’s CIO Adam Tyler will explore the major concerns around digital wallets security from both a consumer and business perspective and also offer solutions for how to make these digital wallets more secure.
  • Identity Crimes: Your Money or Your Life?: In addition to his solo talk on Digital Wallets, Adam will also be participating on this panel, which will explore the implications of how businesses, government and law enforcement officials perceive identity theft cases and how identity theft victims perceive the crime. The panel will explore how to find a middle ground between these two perspectives – one that brings more empathy to the victim while still allowing businesses, law enforcement and government to remain effective in addressing identity theft. He will be joined by Sean McCleskey, former Special Agent at the U.S. Secret Service Center for Identity; Dennis Desmond, Chief, Identity Management Branch at USSOCOM; and Deb Griffith, Director of Government Affairs at Lifelock..

Interested in checking out the rest of the lineup this year? Check out the full agenda online.

Will we see you at ID360 next week? Tickets are still available for purchase. Also stay tuned to our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for live updates and pictures from the event!

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