Baltimore, MD – On the heels of several cyber attacks in hospitals throughout the country that have endangered the lives of patients, Maryland health officials are collaborating to ensure that local hospitals are protected.
According to The Baltimore Sun, at least six major U.S. health systems have been victimized by a data breach thus far in 2016, including the recent hacking of Columbia-based MedStar Health.
Since the University of Maryland at College Park fell victim to a data breach in 2014, electronic systems security chiefs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and other local hospitals have joined forces to ward off any future attacks.
“This is extremely important because we all connect to a single electronic backbone,” said Peter J. Murray, chief information officer and vice president for information technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Before this recent string of cyberattacks, each medical facility and university in Maryland operated through an independent IT network. Now, officials from each organization convene on a regular basis to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Data breaches at medical facilities in Maryland, California, Kansas, and elsewhere have caused many people to think twice about seeing a doctor or dentist. About half of adults say they visit the dentist every six months, but this percentage is gradually plummeting as hackers continue to steal the personal information of patients.
The FBI maintains that these cyber criminals are not actually stealing confidential information, but holding it for ransom until medical facilities comply with their financial demands. In the first three months of 2016, hacking victims in the U.S. have paid upwards of $209 million in ransoms.
When MedStar Health’s electronic record system was breached, hackers demanded $19,000 in bitcoin currency. While these hackers may not be looking to steal identities, they are certainly making it difficult for doctors and nurses to administer treatment to their patients.
As The Baltimore Sun also reported, the hackers who encrypted MedStar Health’s hospital data almost caused dozens of people to lose their lives. Mass confusion erupted as staff members scrambled to remember dosage counts off the top of their heads, and some cancer patients went several days without radiation treatment.
Many hospitals in Maryland are now educating staff members and students on how to spot a potential cyber attack.
“If you can’t ascertain if it’s from a legitimate sender, ask yourself if it’s worth the risk,” said Kevin Crain, information security officer for the University of Maryland Medical Center.
While vigilance alone will not prevent data breaches from occurring, many feel as if this proactive response from Maryland hospitals could potentially save lives moving forward.