Summary of article from HIT Consultant, by Fred Pennic:
A resent report highlights significant vulnerabilities in healthcare organizations’ data security practices, particularly concerning insecure file sharing. Key findings reveal that 25% of publicly shared files and 68% of externally shared private files contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII), while 77% of internally shared private files also include PII. Additionally, many organizations fail to update or remove access permissions, increasing security risks. The consequences of these practices include rising data breaches, substantial financial impacts from ransomware attacks, and potential compliance violations with HIPAA and GDPR regulations. The report also notes the risk to financial data, such as credit card information, stored in insecure files. To mitigate these risks, healthcare organizations must adopt robust data loss prevention (DLP) solutions and data security tools to ensure proper handling and sharing of sensitive information. Metomic emphasizes the need for these tools to prevent data leaks and protect both patient information and organizational integrity.