Risk management – Technology
2022 Business report
Risk management – Technology
Supplying effective cyber security.
The advent of digital technology has created a considerable transformation in all areas of our society. Despite all the benefits this can bring to healthcare organisations and local authorities in their day-to-day work, cyber risk has become a real threat to them. A cyber attack can have dramatic consequences for these organisations.
Whether a cyber incident is malicious in origin or not, it has consequences for the entire activity chain: it can be disrupted or even paralysed; staff may be put under pressure; data may leak or become unavailable; and connected biomedical devices may cause medical errors, ultimately threatening patient safety. The financial repercussions can run into thousands or even millions of euros, depending on the scale of the cyber attack.
This is why, at Relyens we believe that this risk shouldn´t be avoided, but rather understood, analysed and quantified, and we should learn how to react in the event of a crisis.
“Imagine a world where health care providers and local authorities are protected against cyber threats and can continue to supply their quality services without interruption. This may seem utopian at a time of increasing ransomware, but it is possible if we take concrete steps to protect ourselves. This requires a global approach involving everyone in the organisation. It is not just the responsibility of CSOs and CISOs. It’s important to raise employee awareness, to have robust security policies and procedures in place to protect sensitive data, and also to be as prepared as possible by implementing emergency and business continuity plans when the event of an incident. This may seem difficult due to budget constraints and often limited resources, and even non-priority when considering the other issues healthcare professionals’ and local authorities’ need to address. Yet by anticipating, preventing and being properly armed against a cyber risk they will be best prepared and most able to bounce back in the event of a crisis, benefiting their patients and users. “
“As the number and sophistication of attacks against information systems increase, the market offers a multitude of technological solutions with different approaches, which must be correctly chosen for sound protection, rather than a collection of disconnected provisions that are insignificant in relation to the real risk. In this respect, internal organisation, the commitment of management and all those involved in hospital technology play a vital role. Before considering technical measures, it is important to understand that nowadays almost every hospital department interacts through networks and connects equipment to systems. There are several sections, including those responsible for IT, biomedicine, infrastructure and physical security. All these actors need to coordinate with the cybersecurity managers to achieve proper network management. Relyens assist organisations with raising staff awareness and finding the right communication channels for this vital coordination. In Spain, for example, we work with the key healthcare professional associations to promote this collaboration and mutual understanding between all the technical departments so that the actions taken meet the true needs of all the areas involved. »
What the figures demonstrate
