A study of cyber attacks: In the healthcare sector

Abstract

With the advent of technologies entering into every aspect of humankind, we as human beings need to, both, protect and secure ourselves, from the privileges and imprecations of the technologies. Securing the vast interdisciplinary and interconnected networks from different sectors like, government, military, finance, academics and recently recognized as the most essential and significant sector, who almost touched every human being, the Healthcare sector, has become the most strenuous task. Thus cybersecurity, which constitutes various technologies, processes and practices, designed to protect networks, devices, programs, and data from attack, damages and unauthorized access, attributes more towards surveillance. Healthcare sectors are extensively sensible and realistic to cyber-attacks, wherein disorganization in operations or even divulgence of patient's personal information can have profound consequences. In today's electronic world, as security had become the most vital area for organizations to function uninterruptedly, thus Cyber security had become the most significant and vibrant issue to be explored and researched. Cybersecurity is referred to as computer-based technology, intentionally and accidentally disordering and falsifying the fundamental software, hardware or networked connections. Due to the substantial amalgamation of technology into the healthcare system, Cybersecurity events had become an augment challenge for the healthcare sector. The cybersecurity menace had now approached an existential hazard to the future of the health sector. To upkeep the benefits of health care technology, we must also effectually protect patient information and the essential procedures of our health care entities. Cyber-attacks incidents are growing intimidation to the health care industry in general and hospitals in particular. Cyber-attacks had caused prominent damage to the health sector, breaching into patients personal and professional information, causing millions of dollars loss, in terms of revenues and fines. In this paper, we present the challenges of cyber security in healthcare and cyber-attacks classification based on their targeted security goal. Also, we provide a review of the literature on cybersecurity issues surrounding healthcare and discuss possible solutions to mitigate data breaches and cyber-attacks.