Rural hospitals face significant cybersecurity challenges due to limited resources, making them easy targets for cybercriminals. Money and staffing are the primary challenges, and a lack of funding for cybersecurity investments puts them at risk. Hospitals must invest in cybersecurity measures such as staff training, strong passwords, and antivirus software to protect themselves. Vulnerability assessments and penetration testing can identify weaknesses and improve security posture. Collaboration between government agencies, cybersecurity providers, and hospitals is essential to address these challenges and ensure patient safety.
Rural hospitals have become a prime target for cybercriminals as they are perceived to be easier targets due to the limited resources they have. These hospitals often lack adequate funding to invest in cybersecurity measures, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. In 2022, cybersecurity attacks against rural hospitals will have seen an increase, and the trend is expected to continue.
According to Kate Pierce, Fortified Health Security’s senior virtual information security officer and executive director of Subsidy, rural hospitals face significant challenges in dealing with cybersecurity threats. Pierce recently testified before the U.S. Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about the cybersecurity challenges facing rural hospitals. Among her requests to the committee was the establishment of a cybersecurity relief fund as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for hospitals to get immediate assistance following a cyberattack.
Money and staffing are the biggest challenges facing rural hospitals in their efforts to combat cybersecurity threats. Rural hospitals have been struggling to come out of the pandemic due to a decline in the number of patients, which has led to a decrease in revenue. With limited resources, rural hospitals have struggled to keep staffing levels adequate. The expense of hiring travel nurses and other cybersecurity staff is also harder to justify in rural areas, where salaries are typically lower than in urban areas.
When it comes to making financial trade-offs, rural hospitals have to choose between investing in cybersecurity or hiring more nurses at the bedside. The need for nurses often wins out, leaving rural hospitals vulnerable to cyberattacks. Moreover, if systems go down during a cyberattack, rural hospitals have a harder time diverting patients to other hospitals, as other hospitals could be far away, sometimes more than 60 miles.
Besides patient records, medical devices, email, and phones that go offline during a cyberattack, hospitals lose remote telehealth used in care. Remote telehealth is vital in rural areas, where patients have to travel long distances to access medical care. If remote telehealth is unavailable, patients may not receive the necessary care on time, which can be life-threatening.
To address these challenges, rural hospitals must invest in cybersecurity measures. This includes regular staff training, implementing strong passwords, using antivirus software, and keeping software up-to-date. Hospitals should also consider hiring third-party cybersecurity providers to manage their systems and provide them with real-time threat monitoring and response services.
By routinely conducting penetration tests and vulnerability assessments, rural hospitals can also defend themselves against cyberattacks. These tests can reveal systemic flaws in the facility that hackers might try to exploit. Hospitals can strengthen their security posture and lower the chance of a successful cyberattack by addressing these weaknesses.
