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Cyber security threats are a bane to the healthcare industry’s existence. Due to the sensitive nature of medical data, cybercriminals target healthcare organizations across the country daily.
However, despite the grave and constant threat cyber attacks pose, many practices are still poorly equipped to prevent them. The most recent spate of
Maui ransomware attacks should be a wake-up call for you and your team to take cyber security and data privacy more seriously.
Ransomware is a type of cyberattack that infects your computer or network with malware (malicious software) and blocks your access to your files or data. Cybercriminals then demand a ransom in exchange for an encryption key that lets you regain access to your files.
Maui ransomware is a multi-layer malware that encrypts your files using multiple encryption algorithms. The
advanced encryption standard (AES) serves as the initial or surface layer encryption. Each encrypted file contains a unique AES key, which attackers also encrypt using the
Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA)
algorithm. The final layer encrypts the RSA public key using the
XOR cipher.
Ransomware attacks like Maui restrict you from accessing your practice’s files—essentially holding your data hostage and forcing you to pay the attackers to regain access. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, yet remains one of the most common types of cyber attacks today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Department of Treasury, have
established a link
between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), or North Korea, and the cyber actors behind the recent Maui ransomware attacks, leading investigators to conclude that they were state-sponsored. In fact,
authorities have recovered $500,000 worth of ransom money from the North Korea-backed hackers so far.
The agencies urge practices not to pay the ransom in the event of a data breach because there’s no guarantee that you will regain access to your files or if the data’s integrity remains intact.
One of the best ways to minimize your practice’s exposure to any cybersecurity threats, especially ransomware attacks, is to keep your systems updated. Timely patching is an efficient and cost-effective way to resolve software vulnerabilities that cybercriminals could exploit. That’s one of the advantages cloud-based platforms, like billrMD, offer compared to conventional, on-site servers.
With billrMD, you can rest assured that you are always getting the latest iteration of our system. We automatically install updates as soon as they roll out, leaving no gaps in security. That means saving time and money on maintenance and less to no downtime.
Increasing your practice’s healthcare data security doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is a cloud-based platform that provides consistent and automatic system updates, is fully HIPAA-compliant, employs strict password requirements, and uses 256-bit SSL encryption—the same level of security financial institutions use.
There are plenty of other ways to bolster your cybersecurity and data privacy, from consistently providing user training programs and phishing exercises to implementing strict data access restrictions and more. However, a robust practice software platform with industry-leading security features should be at the core of your practice’s cybersecurity agenda.
billrMD’s user-friendly platform not only makes your day-to-day easier by streamlining your administrative and medical billing workflows, but it also gives you peace of mind by keeping your practice safe from cyber threats.
You don’t have to live in constant fear of cyber attacks. With secure, fully-featured software like billrMD, you can keep cyber threats at bay.
