Why cyberattacks could be dangerous for medical centers?

14:10   28 September, 2019

The leakage of personal data of patients as a result of cyberattacks can lead to serious problems, said in a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

According to a study, over 70% of information leaks affect important demographic and financial information that may reveal patient identities in the US.

The authors of the study analyzed hacker attacks against databases of health insurance organizations and clinics. It turned out that hackers gain access to health information, as well as to demographic and financial data. All this allows you to identify the patient and in some cases even get access to his bank accounts.

According to the authors of the study, the most important thing is not how many patients suffered from hacker attacks, but what data was stolen. The leakage of credit card data, as well as the leakage of insurance and demographic information can create many serious problems.

Johnson & Johnson in 2016 warned patients who use OneTouch Ping insulin pumps as it turns out that hackers can crack the pump, which jeopardizes the health and life of people. This was the first such statement in history.

Meanwhile, the problem of cyber defense today is very acute against the background of the introduction of ‘smart’ pacemakers and other implants, which, of course, make life easier for patients, but which can be cracked by intruders.



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