Top Security Risks in Your Healthcare Communication and How to Avoid Them

In 2023, a Black Book research survey showed that over 93% of healthcare organizations have experienced data breaches in the last five years. This not only impacts traditional health systems and clinics, but also is prevalent in post-acute care, home health care, hospice and palliative care, behavioral health, lab and diagnostics, assisted living, pharmacies, and imaging services; No organization is too small or too large for these incidents.

1. Data Breaches

Data breaches in healthcare occur when unauthorized individuals access sensitive patient records. These breaches often occur due to inadequate encryption practices, misconfigured systems, or even simple human error. Attackers may gain access to a large amount of sensitive data and information, including a patient’s medical history and financial details.

Such incidents result in significant regulatory fines and remediation costs, as well as irreparably damaging patient trust. To mitigate these risks, it’s essential to implement robust encryption protocols, conduct regular security audits, and enforce stringent access controls. Secure websites and effective healthcare communication platforms ensure your organization is safely connected and the risk of hackers is minimized.

2. Ransomware

Ransomware attacks have surged in frequency and severity within the healthcare industry. Cybercriminals deploy malware that encrypts critical data, effectively locking hospitals and clinics out of their systems until a ransom is paid. The disruptive nature of ransomware can halt patient care, delay treatments, and jeopardize life-saving procedures.

Proactive measures include maintaining regular, secure backups and network segmentation to help contain potential outbreaks. Additionally, comprehensive incident response planning and effective communication can help organizations recover swiftly from an attack.

3. Phishing

Phishing remains one of the most common methods by which cybercriminals infiltrate healthcare systems. Attackers craft deceptive emails or messages that appear to come from trusted sources, tricking staff into revealing credentials or downloading malicious attachments. It can happen on unsecured communication technologies, websites, and within secure networks. Continuous training and campaigns to raise awareness among healthcare employees are essential. Implementing advanced email filtering solutions and multi-factor authentication (MFA) further reduces the likelihood of successful phishing attempts.

4. Unsecured Medical Devices

As healthcare becomes more interconnected, some medical devices—from imaging systems to wearable health monitors, to check-in kiosks—often connect to hospital networks. Unfortunately, many devices lack robust security measures and are vulnerable to exploitation. Once compromised, unsecured operational technology (OT), Internet of Things (IoT), or Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices can serve as entry points for broader network attacks, exposing patient data and operational systems.

The same mentality applies to unsecured communication—i.e., SMS, text messaging, voicemails, and other messaging done through personal cell phones or consumer messaging applications that are not compliant with HIPAA standards. Although proper configuration and network segmentation can help mitigate risks, sharing sensitive information should ONLY be done on secure, approved devices, and through certified HIPAA-compliant healthcare communication platforms is important.

5. Insider Threats

Insider threats encompass malicious employee activities and inadvertent errors that expose data. Disgruntled or well-meaning employees can become weak links if they fail to follow security protocols. They’re particularly challenging because they occur within the trusted network perimeter.

This is highly common in decentralized, post-acute care environments, such as home healthcare, where large networks of contracted, part-time, and full-time employees communicate daily with networks of third-party care partners, patients and families, and referring organizations. This creates many points of daily security exposure, even if accidental. Many of these organizations continue to use non-compliant personal cell phones to coordinate care daily.

To mitigate this risk, healthcare organizations should adopt the principle of least privilege, provide regular employee training, and closely monitor user activity for any unusual patterns. Implementing a robust risk management plan and data loss prevention (DLP) solutions helps detect and prevent unauthorized access to or exfiltration of sensitive data. 

Additionally, using a communication and collaboration platform with organizational controls reduces the security risk when an employee leaves the organization.  The organization can remove the employee from all communications and linked groups just by removing them from the organization.

6. Third-Party Vendor Vulnerabilities

Healthcare organizations rely on numerous third-party vendors for services such as cloud storage, software development, and even maintenance of medical devices. All third-party vendors who have any access to patient healthcare information, even if small and infrequent, should provide proof, often in the form of letters of attestation, of completing an annual audit and have been certified as HIPAA compliant. A vulnerability in any of these third-party systems can directly impact the security of patient data.

Therefore, it is essential to conduct thorough due diligence when onboarding vendors and include information security and compliance clauses in contractual agreements, including having them sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs). Third-party vendors should also utilize secure HIPAA-compliant communication in healthcare dealings and adhere to stringent security standards.

7. Telemedicine Shortcomings

The rapid adoption of telemedicine has significantly increased the accessibility of healthcare, but it has also introduced new vulnerabilities. Telemedicine platforms may expose sensitive patient data during virtual consultations if it is not properly secured. Common issues include weak encryption, insufficient authentication protocols, and potential vulnerabilities in video conferencing software. The communication channels and transmitted data must be protected; therefore, end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular security assessments should be implemented.

8. Software Issues

Software vulnerabilities, whether caused by outdated applications or misconfigurations, can serve as exploitable entry points for cyber attackers. Healthcare systems are particularly vulnerable when they rely on legacy software that no longer receives updates or security patches. Software must be regularly updated to prevent exploitation, and thorough vulnerability assessments must be conducted.

The Effects of Cyber Threats and Weak Network Security

The financial and reputational impacts of cyber incidents on healthcare are staggering. The average data breach in 2024 was $4.8 million, though some incidents can cost healthcare systems even more when factoring in lost revenue, legal fees, and remediation expenses. Fines related to HIPAA violations, even if unintentional, begin at $50,000 per incident and increase from there. Beyond the monetary cost, these breaches can also cause the following incidents:

• Delayed treatments, misdiagnoses, or even life-threatening situations.
• Significant inefficiencies in daily operations.
• Loss of patient trust and negative publicity.
• Damage to an organization’s reputation.
• Issues with patient retention and future partnerships.
• Violations of healthcare regulations like HIPAA.
• Increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies.
• Lawsuits and long-term legal battles.

Poor communication and safety in the healthcare industry have several adverse effects. Although some healthcare data breaches are unavoidable, it’s important to implement specific security controls to mitigate the risks as much as possible.