The Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) has advised President Biden to provide additional funds and support to enhance the cybersecurity posture of the healthcare industry to increase resilience against cyberattacks.
In a new letter addressed to President Biden and duplicated to Senate and House party leaders, the HSCC asked for more finances to assist the healthcare market handle cyber threats, enhance collaboration between the medical care sector and government, as well as for the government to give a roadmap for making enhancements to the cybersecurity preparedness of the healthcare market.
Under the American Rescue Plan, the government makes funds available to modernize federal data technology systems to improve resilience towards upcoming cyberattacks. $9 billion will be invested to support the U.S. start leading new IT and cybersecurity shared services at the Cyber Security and Information Security Agency (CISA) and the General Services Administration, and $690 million was provided to CISA to reinforce cybersecurity throughout the federal civilian networks; nevertheless, none of that money became available to specifically assist the healthcare industry, although the healthcare industry was seriously targeted by cyber attackers prior to and throughout the pandemic.
As per the HSCC, the healthcare market is at the moment stretched to its limits to carry out its clinical and public health responsibilities. The healthcare market has encountered constant cybersecurity issues that have increased in magnitude and complexity every year, and the scenario has come to be a lot worse for the duration of the pandemic. Those concerns, which include ransomware, have hit on the technology essential to patient care.
Cyberattacks like the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline endanger national security, however these attacks are likewise placing patient safety at stake. The attacks may cause denial of service, corruption of information on medical equipment, and data manipulation that could have a strong impact on clinical operations, patient care, and public health.
In evaluating how the American Rescue Plan, along with the new Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, can significantly reinforce the security and resiliency of the healthcare system and patient safety, HSCC call for an increased strategic planning procedure within the administration that can enhance the current cybersecurity partnership among the HSCC, the Department of Health and Human Services and other vital government organizations. In leading the nation to get out of the pandemic, put more people in America back to work and boost their access to health insurance, the capability of the healthcare market to dissuade cyber threats is essential for the nation to sustain public health and worldwide competitiveness over and above the pandemic.