Beyond Data Protection: Putting Patients First in Healthcare Cybersecurity

As cyberattacks rise in scope and severity, it has become evident that traditional healthcare cybersecurity methods have been ineffective. For example, incident response—the processes and technologies used to detect and respond to cyber threats that have been standard practice since the early 2000s—has worked well for most industries. However, when it comes to healthcare, where human lives are at stake, these approaches are no longer suitable.

Traditional incident response primarily focuses on systems, technology, and data protection. However, what sets healthcare apart is not the complexity or number of systems; instead, it’s the fundamental responsibility for the care and safety of humans. Everything significantly changes once this essential aspect is factored into incident response for cybersecurity and disaster recovery.

Cybersecurity incident response in healthcare should reflect the patient-centric approach seen in other types of disaster recovery. Unfortunately, most incident response programs, practices, and policies focus on data protection. While safeguarding data is crucial and often the main justification for cybersecurity investments and compliance with regulations like HIPAA, healthcare’s primary focus should always be to ensure uninterrupted patient care.

This presents a paradigm shift that may challenge traditional IT organizations. However, prioritizing patient care and safety ensures that healthcare’s response to incidents swiftly and effectively reduces harm and promotes patient well-being.

A Four-Step Plan for Implementing Patient-Centric Incident Response

Cyberattacks inevitably affect patient care, even if patients are not the direct targets of the attack. To effectively mitigate the impact, the entire organization must recognize its primary role in safeguarding patients when orchestrating a response. For example, clinical staff should have defined actions to take once a cyberattack is known to be in process (for example, immediately take current vital signs of patients connected to medical devices). Keeping the patient at the forefront is paramount, and every aspect of incident response, including disaster recovery, should prioritize patient well-being.

The following four elements should be considered and integrated in developing a modern patient-centric incident response plan.

Step 1: Patients

The incident response plan must be designed to ensure there is no impact on patient care. When prioritizing system recovery, decisions should be based on what will benefit the patients the most.

Step 2: Staff

Supporting and empowering the staff on the ground during a cyberattack is essential for delivering excellent patient care. Addressing their concerns and uncertainties is crucial. This support should extend beyond the IT department to the entire organization, ensuring everyone knows how to respond and can stay focused on patient safety.

Step 3: Family

Proactively addressing the concerns of patient families and friends is vital. Effective and early communication is necessary, especially during a cyber incident. People will seek answers and reassurance, so having a plan for addressing their valid concerns is essential.

Step 4: Systems

The long-term goal is to restore and protect the IT systems. The recovery order is crucial and should align with clinical guidance from teams prioritizing patient care. When bringing systems back online, consideration should be given to the acuity of patients in the ICU, for example, and the plan should be aligned with patient care objectives.

In summary, a thorough patient-centric incident response plan will prioritize patients, evaluate staff needs, address family concerns, and consider system status and recovery objectives. This will remain the ongoing focus, minute by minute and hour by hour until a known state is achieved. By prioritizing an incident response framework focusing on patient care, staff well-being, communications with family and friends, and system restoration, healthcare organizations can mitigate the impact of cyber incidents.

Putting this Information into Practice – Steps You Can Take Now

1. Evaluate your current incident response plan and identify areas that are not patient-focused. Make updates as appropriate.
2. Perform a clinical tabletop simulation to test your organization’s current state of readiness.
3. Watch this on-demand webinar for more details about setting up a patient-centric incident response program.

Interested in exploring this topic in more detail? Download our whitepaper, “Patient-Centric Incident Response in Healthcare,” or contact us at customersfirst@gocloudwave.com.

 Jacob Wheeler, Sr. Solutions Architect