Computer Security At The Health Care Sector - 1653 Words

Christine Waite GSB 622: Short Paper August 11, 2014 Computer Security in the Health Care Sector Medical records are a very desirable asset on the black market valuing $50.00 each. This is much higher than other personal information including credit card numbers and social security numbers which are valued at $1.50 and $3.00 respectively (Robonsin). The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) has encouraged the health care industry to embrace information technology by adopting electronic health records and electronic information exchange. A 17% increase in the amount of hospitals utilizing at least a basic electronic health record was observed from 2011 to 2012 and has more than tripled since 2009†¦show more content†¦Redspin published a breach report that listed the types of breaches health care organizations encountered in 2013, displayed in Table 1. The largest data breaches of 2013 involved theft of desktop computer and laptops containing unencrypted patient information. Unauthorized access, improper disposal, loss and hackin g incident were also encountered (â€Å"Breach Report†). Table 1 Protected Health Information Data Breaches by Type, 2013 Breaches (#) Total (%) Records (#) Total (%) Theft 90 45.2% 5,905,595 83.2% Other 26 13.1% 320,314 4.5% Unauthorized Access 44 22.1% 313,353 4.4% Improper Disposal 8 4.0% 288,167 4.1% Loss 19 9.5% 150,282 2.1% Hacking IT Incident 12 6.0% 118,394 1.7% Total 199 100% 7,906,105 100% Source: Redspin, Breach Report 2013: Protected Health Information (PHI) Security breaches in protected health information can carry heavy consequences. The HITECH ACT requires any incident affecting more than 500 patients to be reported and investigated (â€Å"Breaches Affecting 500†). This exposure can be damaging to the health organization’s image and reputation. Not only does this generate bad publicity which can damage patient’s trust in the healthcare organization but the potential of financial consequences as well. According to a Ponemon Institute study, data breaches cost United States hospitals approximately $6 billion per year (â€Å"Data Breaches Cost†). Healthcare