In recent years, several sectors have undergone a digital revolution and medicine has undoubtedly been one of the most impacted by these transformations.
These innovations enabled remote care, integrated robotic equipment with the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), and facilitated care and access for both patients and health professionals.
However, this whole revolution has generated a significant amount of data that needs to be managed and protected. After all, if a hospital or health center suffers a cyberattack, it can put information and lives at risk.
That is why cybersecurity and training for teams are so important, as they are responsible for preparing people and mitigating cyber risks.
Cybersecurity for medical teams?
Protecting sensitive data and information is the responsibility of companies in all sectors, but healthcare organizations play an even more important role in this protection.
This is because, medical information is highly valuable on the underground market, a complete health record can include:
Personal data;
Insurance information;
Medical history;
Financial information.
This data can be used by criminals to apply scams and extortion, making health institutions increasingly attractive to them.
A 2023 IBM Security report highlighted that the healthcare industry suffered the highest number of data breaches for the 13th consecutive year, with an average cost of $10.10 million per incident.
It is important to note that this data and information can be stolen in different ways, criminals use numerous social engineering techniques to exploit loopholes and break into systems.
In addition, it is necessary to understand that attackers target computers, anesthesia machines, point-of-care systems, MRI equipment, and various other equipment.
Through these devices, criminals are able to position themselves on a critical network and infiltrate an infrastructure, which can lead to the theft of information or even the destruction of important information.
Often the intention is to interrupt services and make institutions pay ransoms to normalize services.
If a stoppage in a factory or store is already harmful, when we talk about a health system this risk is even greater, after all, lives are at stake.
Therefore, health institutions need to worry about cybersecurity, their systems, and especially their employees.
After all, cyber attacks are directed at people, they need to understand the risks so that they know how to protect themselves.
Why invest in training medical teams?
With the advancement of technology and the need for all teams to adapt to this new reality. Without proper training on the importance of cybersecurity, people become a target for cybercriminals.
This is because, regardless of the position a person holds in a hospital, he is in constant contact with systems, becoming exposed to cyber risks.
In addition, healthcare professionals deal daily with sensitive data that, if compromised, can cause irreparable harm to patients.
In this way, training arises to raise awareness and fill knowledge gaps in the most important issues related to cybersecurity.
The teams are made up of people from different generations, many of them were born in the analog era and do not understand how clicking on a link or providing information can put the hospital and the health of patients at risk.
In addition, there are people in direct contact with technology, but who still do not understand the importance it exerts.
The training serves precisely to introduce cybersecurity and show people that we live in a connected era, so every action we do online has consequences both in personal and professional life.
Training people is essential to empower teams to properly recognize and respond to threats such as phishing, ransomware, and other forms of attack.
Additionally, educating healthcare providers on safe practices, such as using strong passwords and identifying suspicious emails, significantly reduces the risk of security breaches.
Data protection and cybersecurity in medical teams ensures the continuity of services.
After all, cyberattacks can lead to the interruption of hospital systems, compromising everything from scheduling appointments to operating vital equipment.
With proper training, institutions form well-trained teams that are able to identify vulnerabilities and act preventively, minimizing downtime and maintaining the quality of patient care.
When hospitals invest in cybersecurity for medical staff, they not only protect sensitive patient data, but also ensure service continuity and strengthen the institution's reputation.
How to conduct training among medical teams?
Cybersecurity training for medical teams is essential, it prepares people to deal with cyber threats, protects data and safeguards patients' lives.
It is important to note that conducting training among medical teams is a task that requires planning, a practical approach, and adaptation to the specificities of the health sector.
After all, it is necessary to engage people and introduce cybersecurity into their routines, so that risks are actually mitigated.
Risk assessment
Before actually starting the awareness process, it is important to assess the maturity of the teams and know how they deal with cybersecurity. This initial assessment is very important to direct efforts and make the whole process more effective.
To do this, it is important to identify the areas of greatest risk and the specific needs of the teams, understanding the vulnerabilities that exist in the systems and in people's daily practices.
That is, knowing how many people are susceptible to clicking on suspicious links, how many of them can identify a cyberattack. All this information is crucial in the awareness process and to start training.
Awareness content
The previous analysis allows IT teams to understand the maturity level of each team and what actions need to be taken.
With this information in hand, it's time to understand what content needs to be addressed among health professionals.
Which can be the most common types of attacks in the healthcare industry, such as ransomware and theft of patient data, as well as information on relevant rules and regulations, such as LGPD and HIPAA.
Or even how safe access is essential to maintain security in hospitals. The content depends on the maturity and planning done by the teams to conduct the awareness program.
Implementation of training
With all the planning and knowing exactly what gaps need to be filled, it's time to implement training and awareness actions.
It is important to emphasize that training should not be something massive or complicated, full of technical terms, this only moves people further and further away from cybersecurity. It is necessary to show that information security is part of everyone's life.
To make this process as effective as possible, healthcare institutions can promote interactive workshops where participants can ask questions and participate in group discussions.
Develop gamification training that allows professionals to learn at their own pace, with quizzes and interactive activities to reinforce learning. In addition to encouraging people with certifications at the end of the courses.
Another very important point in the awareness process is phishing simulations, they put people in real attack scenarios and help identify cyber risks.
Implement a culture of safety
Training is very important to mitigate risks, but they alone cannot protect hospitals from cyber attacks, it is necessary to implement a security policy.
For this to happen, it is essential that the institution encourages leaders to set an example, strictly following cybersecurity practices and actively participating in training.
In addition, it is essential to promote open communication between leaders and teams about the importance of cybersecurity.
And finally, for cybersecurity to really be part of people's lives, it is necessary to send communications, create schedules with content on the most important information, and carry out continuous training.
In fact, constancy is fundamental throughout the awareness process, through which it is possible to actually make people give due importance to security issues and protect their data and institutional assets.
How does PhishX help hospitals in the awareness process?
Training and the entire awareness process are very important to protect hospitals from cyber attacks, thanks to these actions it is possible to prepare people so that they know how to identify attacks and thus protect these institutions.
PhishX is an ecosystem that brings cybersecurity knowledge to people, our solutions help hospitals strengthen cybersecurity through awareness.
With a combination of assessments, phishing tests, training, content, and announcements, PhishX empowers teams to recognize and respond appropriately to threats.
On our platform, it is possible to carry out regular assessments and simulated phishing tests to identify vulnerabilities and measure people's maturity.
These simulations are essential to train people so that they know how to identify phishing attempts, this action improves the response to threats and can effectively mitigate risks.
In addition, PhishX offers training focused on educating people on cybersecurity best practices, covering topics such as data protection, secure access, and regulatory compliance.
Our platform has an extensive library of educational materials, including videos, articles, and interactive resources, which can be used to raise cybersecurity awareness.
These contents are designed to be accessible and engaging, facilitating continuous learning, like little cybersecurity pills that people can absorb as the day goes on.
PhishX also helps in creating custom security advisories and alerts for hospitals.
These announcements keep people informed about the latest security threats and best practices, ensuring that everyone is aware of the risks and knows how to protect themselves.
Adopting PhishX solutions allows hospitals to keep their staff well-informed and prepared to face cyber threats, protecting both patient data and the integrity of the institution.
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