Cyber criminals are seeking access to medical records more than credit cards or other forms of information, according the National Law Review.
Here are seven notes:
1. Experts claim companies holding medical records will be breached regardless of size and security measures.
2. Medical records contain valuable information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home address, medical insurance numbers and treatment information.
3. Medical records are less perishable than stolen credit card information, especially because detection of the theft may take awhile.
4. Health-related companies are not as advanced as financial institutions in protecting their systems because medical record theft is a recent phenomenon.
5. HIPAA has implemented penalties of up to $1.5 million per violation for improper disclosure of medical information.
6. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights extracted large settlements from heathcare companies for not taking the appropriate steps to protect data.
7. Medical data must be treated as a company's most valuable asset, and protective measures including tightening access controls, upgrading information systems and encrypting data and communication should be implemented.
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