A data breach at a hospital can have devastating effects. This can bring huge damage to the hospital, its healthcare workers, and its patients. In what way? Find out below.
Data Breach at a Hospital
If a data breach happens in a hospital, cybercriminals can steal the personal information of hospital employees, patients, and their families. Their main purpose is to sell or use this information for identity theft, or to commit fraud.
A data breach at a hospital can also damage the hospital itself. Hospitals are one of the most trusted institutions in society. A hospital is also often associated with trust, confidence, and reliability. If a hospital then suffers a data breach, it might lose the confidence of its patients which can lead to lost profits.
Cybercriminals who stole data from a hospital might use it to sell medical information on the dark web. This is then done by acquiring personal information of patients who are victims of accidents or victims of diseases like cancer.
Effects of a Data Breach at a Hospital
If this happens can bring devastating effects to you, your family, and your friends. These are the following:
- Identity theft. Cybercriminals can use your personal information to open bank accounts, credit cards, and other financial accounts. They can also apply for loans in your name.
- Financial fraud. Cybercriminals can use your personal information to buy expensive items like cars or houses. They can also apply for loans using their identity.
- Medical fraud. Cybercriminals can also use the information of patients who are already victims of diseases like cancer to sell fake treatments online.
- Damage to your reputation. Once your data is stolen, you will be tagged as a victim of identity theft or medical fraud in public records or social media which can affect your reputation in the community and the society where you live.
- Stalking and harassment. Cybercriminals can use your personal information to stalk and harass you online or offline. Then, this is done by cyberstalking you through social media or using the data they stole from you to make calls or send texts to you which is done by cyberstalking you through telephone calls or sending text messages that are intended to harass you.
Tactics For a Data Breach at a Hospital
There are many threats that hospitals currently face today that could result in a security breach. These are the following:
- Phishing emails are sent by cybercriminals to hospital employees with the hope that they will click on links or download attachments inside these emails. Then this will install malware on their computers so they can steal data from their victims’ computers.
- Social engineering is by pretending to be a legitimate caller or visitor and asking hospital employees for information about the hospital, its employees, and patients.
- Theft of mobile devices which are owned by hospital employees. These mobile devices can contain sensitive patient data them so when they are stolen, the data in these devices can be exposed to cybercriminals.
Conclusion
So, if you are a healthcare worker, you need to be very careful in using your electronic devices so you will not fall victim to a data breach. And if you are a hospital or healthcare institution, you need to secure your data from being stolen by cybercriminals.
