Cybersecurity awareness training is the process of educating employees about the importance of cybersecurity and how to identify potential threats and respond appropriately. By educating workers on best practices for prevention, healthcare organizations can reduce the risk of breaches, cyberattacks and other threats. Investing in cybersecurity awareness training is a proactive approach to reducing the risk of cyber threats and ensuring the security of sensitive patient information.
Healthcare cyberattacks are on the rise, but according to one report, nearly a third of healthcare employees said they had never received cybersecurity training from their workplace.
Why is cybersecurity awareness training important?
Despite having best-in-class defence systems and measures in place, many healthcare organizations still experience security breaches. In fact, there were 658 breaches in 2022, affecting nearly 50 million individuals.
Unfortunately, human error is often a major contributing factor behind many data breaches. According to Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, more than 80% of breaches involved human error.
Cybersecurity awareness helps to educate employees about how to spot potential threats and what they can do to avoid falling victim. It empowers a workforce with the right knowledge and resources to identify and flag potential threats before they cause any damage. Proper cybersecurity awareness training is also required to stay HIPAA-compliant.
Furthermore, not conducting cybersecurity awareness training regularly can have serious consequences, such as legal penalties, financial loss and cost of remediation, loss of intellectual property, damaged reputation, and loss of consumer trust.
What should be included in cybersecurity awareness training?
Cybersecurity training should include a variety of topics, such as email phishing, password security, social engineering, malware, understanding HIPAA- privacy and security rules, and safeguarding sensitive information. By educating healthcare workers on best practices for cybersecurity, organizations can reduce the risk of data breaches, cyber-attacks, and other forms of cybercrime.
Experience Better Healthcare Compliance
MedSafe is the nation’s leading one-stop resource for outsourced accreditation and healthcare compliance solutions. For over 20 years, we have been providing peace of mind to hospital groups, private practices, and their business associates. Our suite of onsite and online training services, including OSHA, HIPAA, Corporate Compliance and Code Auditing better equip your practice with the necessary tools and skills to achieve and maintain regulatory billing compliance. MedSafe takes a hands-on approach and works directly with your team to uncover issues and define suitable solutions.
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