Organized hackers work overtime to escalate cybersecurity breaches and system shutdowns of hospitals and healthcare entities, using the COVID-19 pandemic, to exploit malicious activity and induce ransomware attacks. 

As a result, data breaches have doubled in recent weeks. 

The amount of sophisticated and targeted cyber threats has prompted several U.S. governmental agencies [FTC] to post warnings on their websites to business organizations around COVID-19 scams.  

If your healthcare organization has experienced a data breach, Abacode Cybersecurity & Compliance is offering, as a community service, 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲 digital forensics and incident response services to healthcare organizations at 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚. 

We are standing up to these unethical Advanced Persistent Threat groups, who have stepped up their game when they know healthcare providers are preoccupied at their most vulnerable, at a time when our under equipped and understaffed healthcare industry is overwhelmed with treating patients.  

Over worked and stressed employees are more inclined to theft of lost and stolen laptops and work-related equipment. A recent report of a single laptop theft incident resulted in a HIPAA violation and data breach of 654,362 records, at $429 per record. 

Healthcare leaders not only have to secure against compliance and data breach risks, hospitals have been locked from their critical systems and files which delay medical responses. Hackers then use ransomware demands to profit from network systems hostage scenarios. [Interpol]. 

“Locking hospitals out of their critical systems will not only delay the swift medical response required during these unprecedented times, it could directly lead to deaths,” added the Interpol Chief. 

𝗪𝗲‘𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. Organizational defenses against phishing often rely exclusively on users being able to spot phishing emails. However, organizations that widen their defenses to include more technical measures can improve network security resilience against phishing attacks. 

Network System attacks through unprotected or misconfigured entry points, along with social engineering threats, demand an analysis of an entire network and processes. Small and medium businesses are widely targeted because hackers know SMB companies are less likely to have effective security policy and protective layers in place.  

Hackers are well informed, and they know there’s a shortage of trained cybersecurity experts, are you currently working with professionals? 

Experts will help you begin with an effective cybersecurity assessment and measurement of business and system health. Abacode and other trusted cybersecurity advisors (CISA and NCSC) recommend that healthcare organizations plan for a percentage of phishing attacks to be successful, and if you plan for these incidents in advance, you help minimize the damage caused. 

Cyber Risk Mitigations Split into Four Layers, on which to Build Defenses: 

• Make it difficult for attackers to reach your users. 
• Help users identify and report suspected phishing emails 
• Protect your organization from the effects of undetected phishing emails. 
• Respond quickly to incidents. 

Advanced persistent threats require 24/7/365 detection and response protection from systems/operational shutdown and lost revenue. 

Our sole focus is on cybersecurity and compliance, your organization will be better off with TeleHealth Services by Abacode, designed to mitigate increased COVID-19 cybersecurity attacks on healthcare organizations.  

Align with Abacode for a holistic, full lifecycle managed service provider of integrated cybersecurity and compliance programs. Abacode’s “objective state” approach ensures the greatest overall impact on cyber risk across your organization based on your budget and risk tolerance. 

 Abacode.comTel.                            1(866) 596-9020                         insight@abacode.com 

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