Electronic Healthcare Records , Endpoint Security , Events

Lessons From Change Healthcare and System Interoperability

U.S. healthcare interoperability - across doctors, dentists, other healthcare providers and vendors that support them - brings new opportunities for hackers to monetize disruption of badly needed services, said Kyle Hanslovan, CEO, Huntress.

See Also: Real-World Strategies for Securing Remote Workforces and Data

Citing the recent Change Healthcare ransomware attack, which forced the company to shut down its SaaS-based applications to a huge swath of the industry, Hanslovan said that about 14,000 providers and MSPs have been affected by the hack. But unlike most ransomware attacks, the Change Healthcare incident shut down billing and payments systems and hurt employee incomes.

"While it's easy to talk about what the hackers are doing, the impact and the data theft, I think folks are largely ignoring what's happening to the individual," Hanslovan said. Small to midsize businesses and MSPs have been optimizing for convenience by relying on such large software vendors, but they are now looking at how to limit the risk, he said, adding that "it's about time."

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group at RSA Conference 2024, Hanslovan also discussed:

• The hype around generative AI threats from adversaries compared to relatively slow adoption of AI by cybersecurity organizations;
• Why vendors who don't own their code base can't pivot fast enough to chase hackers' latest exploits;
• How many buyers are not considering who is on the other end of the contract, managing their critical services.

Prior to leading Huntress, Hanslovan served in the U.S. intelligence community, where he supported defensive and offensive cyber operations over the past decade. He actively participates in the ethical hacking community as a Black Hat conference trainer and STEM mentor. He served in the Maryland Air National Guard as a cyberwarfare operator.