Is Healthcare Doing Anything Well in Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity was a leading topic in 2024. In February Change Healthcare experienced a cybersecurity incident that crippled electronic payments and medical claims at UnitedHealth Group (Change Healthcare’s parent company). The length and severity of the incident not only had the healthcare industry talking about cybersecurity, but it also remained a topic of discussion in the broader tech media

It was understandable that much of that discussion focused on how and where healthcare was falling short on cybersecurity. In general, healthcare had not prioritized or invested in cybersecurity compared to other regulated critical industries like banking and transportation.

Healthcare IT Today thought it would be interesting to flip the script on cybersecurity in healthcare. Instead of focusing on where we needed to improve, we wanted to hear where we were doing well. We reconnected with Steve Cagle, CEO at Clearwater, the largest pure-play provider of cybersecurity and compliance solutions for the healthcare industry.

We spoke to Cagle at HLTH 2024 about the Change Healthcare incident, so it was fitting we spoke to him at the end of 2024. Here his response to the question – What is healthcare doing well when it comes to cybersecurity?

Key Takeaways

1. Healthcare organizations are beginning to adopt a proactive approach to cybersecurity. These organizations recognize the patient safety as well as financial risks and have chosen to prioritize cybersecurity.
2. More cybersecurity discussions at the leadership level in healthcare. Cagle is hearing about and is involved in more cybersecurity discussions at the Board and C-Levels of healthcare organization. “Cybersecurity starts at the top,” says Cagle.
3. Companies with a clear cybersecurity strategy will have a competitive advantage. “If you are a digital health company and you are trying to sell into a provider or payer, those organizations are not likely to work with you unless you have a very strong security compliance program,” states Cagle.

Learn more about Clearwater at https://clearwatersecurity.com/

Listen and subscribe to the Healthcare IT Today Interviews Podcast to hear all the latest insights from experts in healthcare IT.

And for an exclusive look at our top stories, subscribe to our newsletter and YouTube.

Tell us what you think. Contact us here or on Twitter at @hcitoday. And if you’re interested in advertising with us, check out our various advertising packages and request our Media Kit.

Cybersecurity was a leading topic in 2024. In February Change Healthcare experienced a cybersecurity incident that crippled electronic payments and medical claims at UnitedHealth Group (Change Healthcare’s parent company). The length and severity of the incident not only had the healthcare industry talking about cybersecurity, but it also remained a topic of discussion in the broader tech media

It was understandable that much of that discussion focused on how and where healthcare was falling short on cybersecurity. In general, healthcare had not prioritized or invested in cybersecurity compared to other regulated critical industries like banking and transportation.

Healthcare IT Today thought it would be interesting to flip the script on cybersecurity in healthcare. Instead of focusing on where we needed to improve, we wanted to hear where we were doing well. We reconnected with Steve Cagle, CEO at Clearwater, the largest pure-play provider of cybersecurity and compliance solutions for the healthcare industry.

We spoke to Cagle at HLTH 2024 about the Change Healthcare incident, so it was fitting we spoke to him at the end of 2024. Here his response to the question – What is healthcare doing well when it comes to cybersecurity?

Key Takeaways

1. Healthcare organizations are beginning to adopt a proactive approach to cybersecurity. These organizations recognize the patient safety as well as financial risks and have chosen to prioritize cybersecurity.
2. More cybersecurity discussions at the leadership level in healthcare. Cagle is hearing about and is involved in more cybersecurity discussions at the Board and C-Levels of healthcare organization. “Cybersecurity starts at the top,” says Cagle.
3. Companies with a clear cybersecurity strategy will have a competitive advantage. “If you are a digital health company and you are trying to sell into a provider or payer, those organizations are not likely to work with you unless you have a very strong security compliance program,” states Cagle.

Learn more about Clearwater at https://clearwatersecurity.com/

Listen and subscribe to the Healthcare IT Today Interviews Podcast to hear all the latest insights from experts in healthcare IT.

And for an exclusive look at our top stories, subscribe to our newsletter and YouTube.

Tell us what you think. Contact us here or on Twitter at @hcitoday. And if you’re interested in advertising with us, check out our various advertising packages and request our Media Kit.