2015 HIMSS Cybersecurity Study Reveals the Cybersecurity Pulse of Healthcare Organizations

HIMSS recently released the results of the 2015 HIMSS Cybersecurity Survey. This study, which surveyed 297 individuals with cybersecurity responsibilities at healthcare organizations, gauged healthcare organizations’ awareness of and readiness for cybersecurity incidents in an “era where significant security incidents are a regular occurrence.” 

The study revealed increased attention to cybersecurity issues among healthcare organizations. Eighty-seven percent of respondents said that information security had increased as a priority at their organizations, and more than half of the respondents’ organizations had allocated full-time resources to cybersecurity.

Additionally, many respondents’ organizations – 68 percent of those surveyed – had experienced security incidents. Eighty-one percent agreed that there is a need for “more innovative and advanced security tools” to protect organizations against future security threats. 

It is crucial for businesses of any kind to understand the importance of cybersecurity and protecting organizational, employee, customer and patient data. Securing the Internet is our shared responsibility, and businesses play a big role in making online activity safer and more secure for all digital citizens. For tips and resources on cybersecurity at your organization, see the RE: Cyber pages.

NCSA worked with HIMSS on an infographic last fall on keeping healthcare organizations’ information safe and secure; you can view it here. Check out the infographic below for more highlights from 2015 HIMSS Cybersecurity Survey. You can view the whole survey here.