Electronic medical records (EMRs) offer comprehensive patient histories and make data shareable; however, they can carry significant privacy risks and are a top target in breaches, according to the HHS Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3).[1] Therefore, health care organizations need to take steps to ensure the security of their EMRs.
Data breaches targeting EMRs and electronic health records (EHRs) have been costly for the health care industry. According to IBM, the average cost per incident in 2021 was $9.3 million, and 40 million patient records were compromised.
HC3 recommended eight specific strategies for health care leaders to strengthen their organizations’ cyber posture and protect EMRs: