Telehealth Monitor

The Cyber Secure Institute, an analysis and advocacy institute for effective cyber security, has released recommendations for safeguarding heath data in the wake of recent breaches.

Last month, hackers broke into a Virginia government Web site that tracks prescription drug abuse and attempted to ransom almost 8.3 million patient records and 35.5 million prescriptions for $10 million.  And last December, Lawanda Jackson pleaded guilty to violating federal privacy laws by selling private medical data from celebrities, including Britney Spears, Farah Fawcett and Maria Shriver, to the National Enquirer tabloid.

Last October, someone hacked into Express Scripts, one of America’s largest processors of pharmacy prescriptions, and threatened to release personal information of millions of Americans unless their demands were met. That investigation is ongoing.

“These recent attacks provide cause for real concern among cybersecurity experts and healthcare professionals alike. Inadequate cybersecurity systems put our most personal data at risk,” said Rob Housman, executive director of the Cyber Secure Institute.

via Advocacy organization calls for improved protection of online health data | Healthcare IT News.