COVID-19 has seen people shift to remote work and learning. As businesses shifted to a “perform any aspect of the job from any location” approach, cybercriminals have many more targets. Some have called this the ‘cyberpandemic’.
Healthcare data is particularly attractive to cybercriminals because it:-
- Contains personal and financial data
- Can be used for blackmail
- Is ideal for fraudulent billing
When an organisation or agency that the Privacy Act of 1988 covers has reasonable grounds to believe a data breach has occurred, they must notify OAIC and the individual at risk of harm.
The financial implications can be very high. The average cost to organisations is estimated by IBM to be US$4.35M in 2022.
There are many ways to reduce this risk, some include:-
- Encrypt your data and have backups in multiple locations using 3-2-1 rule (3 copies, 2 different media and 1 stored offsite)
- Keep systems and software updated
- Use strong passwords
- Use firewalls (which are properly configured)
Visit https://initialtech.com.au/managed-it-security/ for more information. Initial Technology can help! Call (02) 7251 9119 or email [email protected] to arrange a consultation.