Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

How One University Is Beefing Up Cyber Defenses, Programs

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 29, 2023

Educational institutions are prime targets for ransomware and other cyberattacks due to their open nature and troves of sensitive data, requiring continuous investment in cyber defenses and strong security practices, said Steve Zuromski, CIO at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.

Legacy Medical Devices: Critical Cyber Risk Considerations

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 28, 2023

Legacy medical gear continues to pose big cyber challenges to healthcare entities. A joint report by the Food and Drug Administration and MITRE Corp. emphasizes the importance of entities taking a consistent risk-based approach to managing these and other devices, said Jessica Wilkerson of the FDA.

Sizing Up the Worst Healthcare Hacks of 2023

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 27, 2023

Hacks on healthcare sector entities reached record levels in 2023 in terms of data breaches. But the impact of hacks on hospital chains, doctors' offices and other medical providers - or their critical vendors - goes much deeper than the exposure of millions of health records.

The Critical Need for Human Oversight in Healthcare AI

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 26, 2023

AI holds great promise for automating and improving many healthcare processes and tasks - including clinical decision support - but if some users become overly dependent on these systems, that could be potentially detrimental to patients, says attorney Lee Kim of HIMSS.

Fighting AI-Fueled Attacks With AI-Based Cyber Tools

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 26, 2023

Healthcare CISOs must recognize the real and imminent threat of AI-fueled cyberattacks and take proactive steps, including the deployment of AI-based security tools, to protect patient data and critical healthcare services, said Troy Hawes, managing director at consulting firm Moss Adams.

Innovating Patient Care by Applying AI to EHR Data

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 25, 2023

Truveta is a collaborative effort whose members include dozens of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S. It helps life sciences companies apply AI to a trove of electronic health records data to develop new treatments and study their effectiveness, said the organization's CEO, Terry Myerson.

Buckling Down on Vendor Security Risk in Healthcare

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 22, 2023

With the surge in major cyber incidents involving third-party suppliers, it's critical for healthcare sector entities to raise their security expectations and tighten their requirements for vendors handling sensitive data, said Renee Broadbent, CIO of Southern New England Healthcare.

NIST Report Spotlights Cyber, Privacy Risks in Genomic Data

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 21, 2023

The explosion in applications using genomic data - from drug and vaccine development and consumer ancestry testing to law enforcement work - is heightening the need to carefully address critical privacy and security concerns around this sensitive data, government authorities say in a new report.

FTC Bans Rite Aid From Using Facial Recognition Tech

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 20, 2023

The Federal Trade Commission has banned Rite Aid from using AI-based facial recognition technology for security surveillance for five years after the retail drug store chain failed to implement safeguards such as mitigating risks for inaccurate outputs based on race and gender.

Iowa Medical Center Latest Victim of Transcription Firm Hack

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 19, 2023

An Iowa medical center is among the latest healthcare entities reporting to federal regulators a breach tied to a data theft hack on medical transcription vendor Perry Johnson and Associates earlier this year. Meanwhile, stacks of federal lawsuits continue to pile up against the Nevada firm.

Healthcare Cybersecurity Proposal Stirs Industry Opposition

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 18, 2023

Lobbyists for U.S. hospitals oppose a Biden administration proposal for mandatory cybersecurity requirements and possible financial disincentives for organizations that fail to meet those expectations. Industry experts contend that some type of government actions are needed.

CISA Urges Health Sector to Apply Critical Cyber Measures

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 15, 2023

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure and Security Agency is urging health sector entities to take critical steps in fortifying their environments based on findings from a risk and vulnerability assessment performed by the federal agency on a healthcare industry organization earlier this year.

HHS 5-Year Health Data Strategy Prioritizes 'Responsible' AI

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 15, 2023

The Biden administration is heavily counting on "responsibly" leveraging AI as part of a five-year strategy that aims to harness data to enhance the health and wellness of Americans. That includes ambitions to drastically improve cancer care and reduce cancer deaths, among other top goals.

Dental Plan Administrator Fined $400K for Phishing Breach

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 14, 2023

New York State regulators have smacked one of the largest dental administrators in the state with a $400,000 fine for a 2021 incident in which an attacker gained access to an employee email account containing 12 years' worth of messages, including many holding sensitive member information.

Lawmakers Urge HHS to Shield Pharmacy Records From Police

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 13, 2023

Three members of Congress are urging the Department of Health and Human Services to improve HIPAA privacy protections around pharmacy information. The request comes after the lawmakers asked major pharmacy companies how they handle law enforcement requests for patient records.