The federal government is getting more involved in healthcare cybersecurity, and its efforts can’t come soon enough. Last year alone, cyberattacks increased 86%, amounting to an average of 1,410 attacks per organization per week, according to the Journal of AHIMA. A new federal project is designed to discover best-performing technologies used for national security and apply them to healthcare. Six projects led by universities and tech research companies were awarded $50 million by the Department of Health and Human Services to advance the effort.
Costs are adding up: The average healthcare data breach costs about $10.9 million—the highest cost of all industries. And the number keeps rising, jumping 53% in just three years. Hackers know that health information is highly sensitive, and they often demand ransom payment from their targets. Unfortunately, most health organizations end up paying to avoid serious issues with patient care and business operations.