Cybersecurity and Hospitals: What Hospital Trustees Need to Know About Managing Cybersecurity Risk and Response

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities and intrusions pose risks for every hospital and its reputation. While there are significant benefits for care delivery and organizational efficiency from the expanded use of networked technology, Internet-enabled medical devices and electronic databases for clinical, financial and administrative operations, networked technology and greater connectivity also increase exposure to possible cybersecurity threats that require hospitals to evaluate and manage new risks.

Hospitals can prepare and manage such risks by viewing cybersecurity not as a novel issue but rather by making it part of the hospital's existing governance, risk management and business continuity framework. Hospitals also will want to ensure that the approach they adopted remains flexible and resilient to address threats that are likely to be constantly evolving and multi-pronged.

This is an AHA-member benefit.