Читать книгу Do No Harm - Matthew Webster - Страница 17

What is more staggering than the technological trends themselves is just how pervasive those trends are. More than 430 million internet-connected medical devices have already been shipped worldwide.²² Presently, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of internet-connected medical devices is growing by 25%, and that is expected through at least 2023.²³ The data is not out yet, but COVID-19 is expected to accelerate some of those trends as hospitals and doctor offices are experiencing pressure to not only be remote, but often are expected to do more with less. Let's take a look at those trends. A Zingbox survey stated that there are an estimated 10 to 15 internet-connected medical devices per patient bed. By itself that is staggering and a statistic worth remembering as we dig further into the issues related to these devices.²⁴

What many people do not realize is how often healthcare companies are the target of attacks. That trend is only increasing. The HIPAA Journal published some fantastic statistics for the United States. For example, between 2009 and 2019 for breaches larger than 500 records, there have been more than 3,000 healthcare data breaches. Figure 1-2 shows a chart they published detailing the number of healthcare data breaches that occurred in those years.

Figure 1-2: Number of healthcare data breaches of 500 or more records

While 510 cases may not seem like a lot, healthcare organizations are one of the most attacked verticals. One survey demonstrated that over a two-year period, 89% of healthcare organizations suffered a data breach. Another source that echoes that information is the Verizon Data Breach Investigations report. It has one of the largest data sets available and covers global rather than local numbers. Verizon's 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report showed 521 breaches in 2019 versus only 304 breaches in the previous year.²⁵ So the issue with healthcare being one of the most attacked sectors is not just a local United States problem, but a global problem.

The problems are only growing worse as a result of COVID-19. Along with COVID-19 are some trends that are changing the technology landscape comprising medical care. Some key considerations are telehealth, home healthcare, and remote patient monitoring—many of which are tied to internet-connected medical devices. Each of these technologies has its own set of challenges and cybersecurity risks that correspond to those challenges. Let's briefly take a look at some of these trends.