By Nam Nguyen, Vice Chair
EHRA Privacy & Security Workgroup

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the Electronic Health Record Association (EHRA) will use this opportunity to share helpful reminders of cybersecurity fundamentals throughout the month. 

The 2020 HIMSS Cybersecurity Survey provides a look into cybersecurity issues facing US healthcare organizations.  Based upon the feedback from 168 US-based healthcare cybersecurity professionals, healthcare organizations must deal with a growing array of significant security incidents. These issues not only compromise the integrity of your technology and the privacy of patients, but can also disrupt an organization’s ability to provide patient care.

Being prepared for cyberattacks requires doing all you can to reduce cybersecurity risks. One of the most significant risks identified by security professionals is password management. Many people are still using simple passwords such as a series of numbers (123456) or easily guessed words (password). However, the easier it is to guess a password, the higher the risk of being compromised by a cyberattack.