Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

Testing Medical Device Security During COVID-19 Crisis

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  May 8, 2020

As manufacturers - including companies such as automakers that do not typically produce healthcare devices - race to help fill medical equipment shortages during the COVID-19 crisis, steps must be taken to ensure adequate security testing, says Fairuz Rafique of cybersecurity services firm EmberSec.

HHS Issues Security, Privacy Guidance for COVID-19 Issues

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  May 6, 2020

Federal regulators are alerting healthcare organizations about an array of coronavirus-themed cyberthreats. Plus, they're advising them to avoid potential HIPAA privacy violations involving unauthorized disclosures of patient information to news outlets during the COVID-19 crisis.

Alert: APT Groups Targeting COVID-19 Researchers

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  May 5, 2020

Authorities in the U.S. and U.K. are warning medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies, universities and others about "password-spraying campaigns" by advanced persistent threat groups seeking to steal COVID-19 research data. Security experts outline defensive steps that organizations can take.

GAO: HHS Has Failed to Act on Security Recommendations

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  May 4, 2020

The Department of Health and Human Services has yet to implement dozens of "high priority" recommendations, including several related to enhancing its cybersecurity and reducing the risk of fraud, according to a new report from the GAO, which made the recommendations.

Addressing Telehealth, Telework Security Amid COVID-19

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  May 1, 2020

With more employees working remotely and a much heavier demand for telehealth services, entities need to consider extra, accelerated steps in keeping data and systems secure, says Martin Littmann, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic CISO, and Stephen Moore, a former security leader at Anthem.

LabCorp Shareholder Sues Company Over Data Breaches

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 30, 2020

A shareholder has filed a lawsuit against LabCorp and 12 of its executives and directors - including the medical testing company's CIO - over two data breaches, including the 2019 breach of one of its vendors, American Medical Collection Agency, which affected millions of patients.

Data Breach Settlement Calls for Enhanced Security Measures

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 29, 2020

A federal court recently granted final approval for an $8.9 million settlement of a class action lawsuit against Banner Health stemming from a 2016 data breach. The settlement spells out steps the Phoenix-based organization must take to improve information security.

Case Study: Enhancing Endpoint Security

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 28, 2020

Because it's inevitable that some attackers will get around defenses, Kettering Health Network added an extra layer of endpoint security to help mitigate the risks posed by ransomware and other cyberthreats, says Michael Berry, director of information security. He describes what's unusual about the approach.

Colorado Hospital Hit by Ransomware as COVID-19 Continues

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 27, 2020

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare sector faces an ongoing surge of hack attacks that too often disrupt systems and patient care. Among the latest victims is a hospital in Pueblo, Colorado, which is still recovering after apparently having been hit by ransomware.

Genetic Testing Lab Hack Affects 233,000

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 24, 2020

A California-based genetic testing laboratory has reported an email hacking incident that may have exposed medical information on nearly 233,000 individuals. It's the second-largest health data breach posted to the federal health data breach tally so far in 2020.

Prosecutors: Insider 'Sabotaged' Medical Equipment Shipments

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 23, 2020

The former vice president of finance at a Georgia-based medical supplies company has been charged with hacking into the firm's computers and "sabotaging" shipment of personal protective equipment in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

A Tale of 3 Breaches: Incident Response Challenges

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 21, 2020

Three recently disclosed health data security incidents - including the discovery of a large email hack that happened nearly a year ago - serve as reminders of the ongoing incident response challenges facing healthcare organizations. And these difficulties are likely to worsen during the COVID-19 crisis.

Will Telehealth Fraud Grow Amid the COVID-19 Crisis?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 20, 2020

The use of telehealth is ramping up as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the latest arrest in connection with a $410 million healthcare fraud case that includes a multi-million dollar telemedicine-related fraud scheme serves as a cautionary tale of how fraudsters can abuse telehealth.

Third-Party Risk Considerations During COVID-19 Crisis

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 16, 2020

As healthcare organizations navigate the COVID-19 crisis, they should take critical steps to improve their security posture and third-party security risk governance, says consultant Brenda Ferraro, the former CISO at Meritain Health, an Aetna subsidiary.

When Will COVID-19-Related Scams Show Up on Breach Tally?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 15, 2020

How long will it be until breaches related to COVID-19-related scams begin showing up on the Department of Health and Human Services' HIPAA breach reporting website? Experts offer their opinions.