In response to the lockdown and social distancing measures enacted to combat the spread of COVID-19, healthcare providers have increasingly adopted the use of remote technologies. According to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, companies spent an estimated $115B globally on cybersecurity in 2020, with revenue expected to climb to $237B by 2030.

Getty Images


February 2, 2021 — In response to the lockdown and social distancing measures enacted to combat the spread of COVID-19, healthcare providers have increasingly adopted the use of remote technologies. According to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, companies spent an estimated $115B globally on cybersecurity in 2020, with revenue expected to climb to $237B by 2030.

Solutions, such as telehealth and remote patient monitoring, have allowed physicians to continue to provide care while minimizing patient risk. However, the incorporation of software has increased the risk of cyberattacks at numerous points in the healthcare system.

Dominic Tong, Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, commented: “Recent large-scale cyberattacks in the healthcare sector, such as ransomware attacks on hospital chains and vaccine data breaches, have underscored the importance of robust cybersecurity solutions and protocols. Damages from these attacks are significant: repairing electronics at a cost of millions of dollars; leaked patient records containing sensitive information; and even loss of life due to disruptions in hospital computer systems.”

The influx of new remote-accessible devices, from wearable sensors that upload patient health statistics to remote-controllable robotic surgery devices, increases complexity and exposes points of attack for malicious actors. Potential attack vectors include email servers, cloud storage, network access points, patient databases and careless employees.

Tong added: “Advancements in remote care solutions will result in a higher standard of patient care, as physicians can more easily access real-time patient health data and communicate with patients regardless of physical location. However, the burden of ensuring that such solutions are secure from cyberattack falls on both healthcare providers and medical device manufacturers. Healthcare providers must ensure they balance investment in new technologies with cybersecurity measures and training, and manufacturers must create products that are secure against vulnerabilities. Without the proper measures in place, remote care solutions may end up causing more harm than good.”

For more information: www.globaldata.com


Related Content

Feature | HIMSS | By Melinda Taschetta-Millane

The theme of The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS23) is Health That Connects + Tech That ...

Time March 14, 2023
arrow
Videos | Enterprise Imaging

Philips Radiology Operations Command Center (ROCC) is a vendor-neutral, multi-modality, multi-site telepresence tool ...

Time March 13, 2023
arrow
Feature | Information Technology | By Melinda Taschetta-Millane

New for 2023, in each issue, Imaging Technology News (ITN) will profile a leader in radiology to share insight, updates ...

Time March 10, 2023
arrow
Feature | PACS | By Michael Valante

It is widely appreciated that picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), vendor neutral archives (VNA) and ...

Time March 09, 2023
arrow
News | Enterprise Imaging

March 8, 2023 — Insignia Medical Systems, a leading UK-based enterprise imaging provider, is enjoying continued success ...

Time March 08, 2023
arrow
News | Digital Pathology

March 7, 2023 — Proscia, a leading provider of digital and computational pathology solutions, today announced that ...

Time March 07, 2023
arrow
Feature | Radiology Business | By Melinda Taschetta-Millane

February was a short but busy month in the medical imaging world, with a lot of news being generated and products ...

Time March 01, 2023
arrow
News | Ultrasound Imaging

March 1, 2023 — Esaote, a leading Italian company in ultrasound, dedicated MRI and healthcare IT, unveiled the new MyLab ...

Time March 01, 2023
arrow
News | Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

March 1, 2023 — MRIguidance received FDA clearance for its BoneMRI cloud solution as well as for its extended support ...

Time March 01, 2023
arrow
News | Enterprise Imaging

February 28, 2023 — Intelerad Medical Systems, a leading global provider of enterprise medical imaging solutions, today ...

Time February 28, 2023
arrow
Subscribe Now