Healthcare is Now Top Industry for Cyberattacks, New Research Shows

More than 100 million records reportedly were compromised in 2015 in healthcare, research shows.

Five of the eight largest healthcare security breaches that occurred since the beginning of 2010 – those with more than 1 million records reportedly compromised – took place during the first six months of 2015, according to IBM X-Force's "2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index." And in 2015 overall, more than 100 million healthcare records reportedly were compromised, the report said.

The report suggested four key steps to help develop a strategic cybersecurity program, which include: prioritize business objectives and set risk tolerance, institute a proactive security plan, craft a response to the inevitable sophisticated attack, and then promote and support a culture of security awareness.

The recommendations are particularly important to healthcare organizations, which are now the top industry targeted by cybercriminals, according to the annual IBM X-Force report, and several other recent reports. The top five industries in 2015 for cyberattacks: healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, government and transportation, the IBM X-Force report found. The top five in 2014: financial services, information/communication, manufacturing, retail and energy/utilities, the report said...