Healthcare Compliance Violations

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Written By Threat NG Staff

Healthcare compliance violations, when considered within an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework, primarily fall under the "Governance" component, but they heavily intersect with the "Social" component as well. They involve a healthcare organization's failure to adhere to laws, regulations, and ethical standards designed to protect patients, ensure quality care, and maintain the integrity of the healthcare system.

In the context of cybersecurity, healthcare compliance violations often center around the protection of Protected Health Information (PHI). Here are some examples:

  • HIPAA Violations: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets standards for protecting the privacy and security of PHI.

    • Failing to implement adequate cybersecurity measures to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of PHI constitutes a direct violation of HIPAA. Examples include:

      • Not conducting risk assessments

      • Not having proper access controls

      • Not encrypting data

      • Not training employees on security best practices

    • Data breaches that expose PHI due to cybersecurity failures are also HIPAA violations.

    • Failure to provide timely breach notification to affected individuals and regulatory agencies, as required by HIPAA, constitutes another violation.

  • Data Integrity and Accuracy Violations: Healthcare providers are responsible for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of patient data.

    • Cyberattacks that alter or corrupt patient records can lead to healthcare compliance violations. For example, ransomware attacks that encrypt or delete data can compromise the accuracy and availability of patient information, harming patient care and violating regulations.

  • Inadequate Security of Medical Devices: Medical devices, such as connected monitors, infusion pumps, and imaging equipment, are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

    • If a healthcare organization fails to secure these devices adequately, and a breach occurs that compromises patient safety or data, this can be a healthcare compliance violation.

  • Violations Related to Research Data: Healthcare organizations involved in research must protect the privacy and security of data collected from research participants.

    • Cybersecurity breaches that expose this data can violate research regulations and ethical guidelines.

  • Lack of Cybersecurity Governance: A healthcare organization's failure to establish a robust cybersecurity governance framework can contribute to various compliance violations. This includes:

    • Lack of oversight by leadership

    • Insufficient resources for security

    • Failure to implement and enforce security policies

These examples illustrate that cybersecurity is crucial for healthcare compliance. Healthcare organizations must prioritize the security of their systems and data to protect patients' privacy, ensure care integrity, and adhere to relevant regulations.

To explain how ThreatNG can help address healthcare compliance violations in the context of cybersecurity, here's a breakdown:

1. How ThreatNG Helps

  • External Discovery: ThreatNG's external discovery is the initial step. It allows healthcare organizations to identify all their external-facing assets that might store, process, or transmit PHI, including websites, applications, APIs, and cloud services. This is crucial for understanding the full scope of potential vulnerabilities.

  • External Assessment: ThreatNG's external assessment capabilities are highly relevant:

    • ESG Exposure: ThreatNG's ESG Exposure can provide valuable context as it analyzes and highlights areas such as healthcare-related offenses.

      • For example, suppose a healthcare organization has a history of legal issues or regulatory actions related to patient data breaches or privacy violations. In that case, ThreatNG will reflect this as an ESG risk.

    • Other relevant assessments include:

      • Data Leak Susceptibility: ThreatNG assesses the risk of data leaks, a primary concern in healthcare compliance.

      • Cyber Risk Exposure: ThreatNG evaluates vulnerabilities and exposures that could lead to unauthorized access to PHI.

  • Reporting: ThreatNG's reporting functions can help healthcare organizations understand and address compliance risks:

    • ESG reports can highlight past compliance issues and potential risks related to data breaches.

    • Technical reports can provide details on specific vulnerabilities that must be addressed to protect PHI and ensure compliance.

  • Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG's constant monitoring of external attack surfaces is crucial for ongoing healthcare compliance. It helps organizations detect new vulnerabilities, data exposures, or other security weaknesses that could put PHI at risk.

  • Investigation Modules: ThreatNG's investigation modules provide in-depth information for assessing and mitigating compliance risks:

    • Domain Intelligence: This module can help uncover vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs that might be used to access PHI.

    • Code Repository Exposure: ThreatNG discovers code repositories and checks for exposed credentials or sensitive information. This is important because exposed code or credentials can lead to unauthorized access to PHI systems.

    • Mobile Application Discovery: ThreatNG analyzes mobile apps for security vulnerabilities and exposed credentials. This is critical since mobile apps often handle PHI.

    • Sentiment and Financials: ThreatNG tracks lawsuits, SEC filings, and other information that may indicate a healthcare organization's history of compliance violations or financial liabilities related to data breaches.

    • Dark Web Presence: ThreatNG monitors the dark web for compromised credentials or other information that could be used to exploit systems containing PHI.

  • Intelligence Repositories: ThreatNG's intelligence repositories contain valuable data on ESG violations, compromised credentials, and other threats. This information helps organizations understand the broader context of compliance risks and potential threats to PHI.

2. ThreatNG Works with Complementary Solutions

ThreatNG's capabilities align well with other healthcare-specific security and governance tools. For example:

  • Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems: Integration with EHR systems can provide a more comprehensive view of PHI security. ThreatNG can provide external threat intelligence to complement the internal security measures of EHRs.

  • Healthcare GRC Platforms: ThreatNG's ESG violation tracking and risk assessment capabilities can be integrated with healthcare Governance, Risk, and Compliance platforms to automate the monitoring and reporting of HIPAA compliance.

Threat NG Staff
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