is becoming increasingly important. Hacking and IT security incidents have steadily increased in recent years, and many healthcare organizations have struggled to defend their network perimeter and keep cybercriminals at bay.
2015 was a record year for data breaches in the healthcare industry. In 2015, more patient and health plan member records were exposed or stolen than in the previous six years combined. In 2015 alone, more than 113 million records were compromised, with 78.8 million of them stolen in a single cyberattack. More healthcare data breaches were reported in 2016 than in any other year, and 2017 appears to be another record-breaker.
Healthcare providers now have to secure more connected medical devices than ever before, and the healthcare industry has seen a proliferation of IoT devices. The attack surface is expanding, and cybercriminals are developing more sophisticated tools and techniques to attack healthcare organisations, gain data access, and hold data and networks hostage.
When it comes to cybersecurity, the healthcare industry has been slow to respond and has lagged behind other industries. However, cybersecurity budgets have increased, new technology has been purchased, and healthcare organizations are becoming more adept at detecting and preventing cyberattacks and keeping thei