Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

The Battle Against Phishing Attacks and Similar Scams

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 21, 2022

Many entities fight an uphill battle against increasingly clever phishing and related scams that lead to serious data compromises, say former CIA analyst Eric Cole and former Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General David Kris, who are both advisers at security firm Theon Technology.

Critical Security Considerations for Medical Devices

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 20, 2022

Too many medical device makers don't pay close attention to the fine details and features of their product designs to ensure they are safe and secure, says Naomi Schwartz, a former product reviewer at the Food and Drug Administration and current cybersecurity adviser at security firm MedCrypt.

Examining the Effects of Cyberattacks on Patient Care

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 19, 2022

Cyberattacks on healthcare entities result in poor patient outcomes, including delayed procedures and even a rise in mortality, according to a recent survey conducted by research firm the Ponemon Institute. Ryan Witt of Proofpoint, which sponsored the study, discusses the findings.

Online Tracking Tools Provoke Patient Privacy Concerns

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 18, 2022

A study by data privacy firm Lokker found thousands of healthcare providers deploying Facebook Pixel and other similar tracking tools. Those trackers reveal "medical and other data that consumers don't know is being tracked and haven't authorized," says Ian Cohen, Lokker's chief executive officer.

Top Cyber Lessons From Natural Disaster Plans in Healthcare

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 17, 2022

Plan for a ransomware attack the same way you plan for a hurricane, says Paige Peterson Sconzo, director of healthcare services at security firm Redacted Inc. A cyber incident capable of disrupting network connectivity requires careful thinking about how to revert to the pre-internet era.

Most Concerning Security Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 14, 2022

Security flaws in a vital signs monitoring device from a China-based manufacturer could allow hackers to launch an attack that spreads to all other devices connected to the same network. This is among the most serious security issues involving medical devices, says Jason Sinchak of Level Nine.

CommonSpirit's Ransomware Incident Taking Toll on Patients

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 13, 2022

The toll that cyber incidents can have on healthcare entities and their patients was especially felt this week by the parents of a 3-year-old child who received an accidental megadose of medicine - a mistake attributed to IT systems being offline at an Iowa medical center.

Former Doctor Pleads Guilty to HIPAA Charges in Fraud Case

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 12, 2022

A former doctor who practiced internal medicine in several states has pleaded guilty in a New Jersey federal court to criminal HIPAA violations in a case that also involved a pharmaceutical salesman and a larger alleged $2.5 million healthcare fraud conspiracy.

Hospital Chain's Patient Portals, Other IT Still Offline

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 11, 2022

Patient portals, electronic prescriptions and some other IT systems are still affected at an undisclosed number of CommonSpirit Health hospitals and clinics in several states more than one week after a cyber incident hit the multistate hospital chain.

Feds Warn Healthcare Over Cobalt Strike Infections

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 10, 2022

Hackers have appropriated a red-teaming tool to hack their way into organizations, warns the Department of Health and Human Services. Tens of thousands of organizations each year are affected by a hack involving Cobalt Strike. But companies can spot the tool and should act quickly if they do.

Cancer Testing Lab Reports 2nd Major Breach Within 6 Months

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 7, 2022

A Georgia-based cancer testing laboratory has reported to federal regulators a phishing breach affecting the sensitive information of nearly 245,000 individuals. It is the lab's second hacking breach affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals reported over the last six months.

Health Entity Agrees to Pay $7.9 Million to Improve Security

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 6, 2022

A Baltimore, Maryland-based healthcare organization has agreed to spend nearly $8 million improving and maintaining its data security as "injunctive relief" to settle a class action lawsuit involving two data breaches that affected a total of about 540,000 individuals.

BD, CISA Warn of Security Flaw in Cancer Testing System

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 6, 2022

If exploited, a hard-coded credential vulnerability in certain BD medical laboratory equipment used for cancer screenings could allow an attacker to access, modify or delete sensitive patient information, the manufacturer and federal authorities warn.

Patients Affected by Cybersecurity Event at Hospital Chain

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 5, 2022

A cybersecurity incident at Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, a system of 1,500 healthcare sites across 21 states and one of the nation’s largest nonprofit healthcare systems, is disrupting medical care after the healthcare system took offline some of its electronic health records systems.

More Action Needed on Telehealth Privacy, Security Risks

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 4, 2022

At the onset of the novel coronavirus public health emergency, regulators said they would not enforce certain potential HIPAA violations involving telehealth. But with that 2020 policy still in play, patients need to be better informed of telehealth's privacy and security risks.