Last year, the Department of Health & Human Services has issued a strong warning to U.S. hospitals, highlighting the growing cyber threats to healthcare. The Federal agency’s report on hospital cyber resiliency noted that the widespread adoption of health information technology, driven by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, the Affordable Care Act, and the 21st Century Cures Act, has expanded the healthcare industry’s vulnerability to cyberattacks.
“Directly targeted ransomware attacks aimed to disrupt clinical operations are an outsized and growing cyber threat to hospitals,” HHS emphasized. “Ransomware is currently the largest threat to this sector and deserves immediate attention—especially considering the impact the nonavailability of services can have on patient care and safety.”
Ransomware attacks are often combined with the theft of sensitive patient data. According to theHHS Cybersecurity Program, electronic health records (EHRs) are prime targets for cyberattacks because they contain valuable protected health information (PHI) such as names, social security numbers, geographic data, and biometrics. This data is highly profitable for cybercriminals and difficult to secure once exposed.
Règles de sécurité relatives aux dossiers médicaux électroniques (EMR/EHR) conformément à la loi HIPAA
L’alerte du HHS met en évidence d’importantes vulnérabilités dans les systèmes d’information de santé qui exposent les établissements à des attaques par ransomware, à des fuites de données et à d’autres cybermenaces. Les prestataires de soins de santé doiventconsidérer ces alertes comme des appels à l’action urgentsplutôt que comme de simples avis de routine. Les implications vont au-delà des simples préoccupations techniques : une sécurité insuffisante des dossiers médicaux électroniques (DME) engendre une responsabilité juridique, compromet la prise en charge des patients et porte atteinte à la réputation des établissements.
Les menaces courantes pour la sécurité des DSE comprennent :
- Insider threats: Staff members who accidentally or intentionally misuse their access to patient records.
- Third-party risks: Vendors and business associates with access to systems but potentially inadequate security practices.
- Legacy systems: Outdated software and hardware that no longer receive security updates.
- Mobile device vulnerabilities: Unsecured smartphones and tablets used to access patient information.
- Cloud security gaps: Inadequate protection for data stored in cloud environments.
- Phishing attacks: Targeted campaigns designed to steal credentials from healthcare workers.
- Inadequate backup protocols: Insufficient or untested backup systems that fail during recovery scenarios.
These threats directly connect to HIPAA non-compliance when organizations fail to implement required safeguards. For example, a ransomware attack exploiting unpatched software represents a violation of the HIPAA Security Rule’s system protection requirements.
The financial consequences of these attacks can be severe. According to IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, healthcare breaches cost organizations an average of $9.77 million. One example is therecent ransomware settlement involving Heritage Valley Health System, where the Office for Civil Rights imposed a $950,000 fine and required a corrective action plan. Incidents like this underscore the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to prevent breaches and reduce risks.
Les règles de sécurité relatives aux dossiers médicaux électroniques (EMR/EHR) conformément à la loi HIPAA comprennent la mise en œuvre de mesures de protection administratives, physiques et techniques raisonnables et appropriées pour protéger les informations médicales protégées électroniques (ePHI). Larègle de sécurité HIPAAétablit des obligations spécifiques pour la protection des dossiers médicaux électroniques (EHR). Elle exige des entités réglementées qu’elles disposent :
- Administrative safeguards: Risk analysis, security management processes, workforce training, and contingency planning.
- Physical safeguards: Facility access controls, workstation security, and device/media controls.
- Technical safeguards: Access controls, audit controls, integrity controls, and transmission security.
- Organizational requirements: Business associate contracts and documentation requirements.
- Policies and procedures: Implementation of reasonable and appropriate security measures.
Les organismes de santé doivent mener une évaluation complète des risques liés à la sécurité afin d’identifier les vulnérabilités. Ils doivent ensuite élaborer un plan de remédiation qui donne la priorité aux lacunes critiques, met à jour les politiques et procédures de sécurité, met en œuvre des mesures de protection techniques et forme le personnel aux protocoles de sécurité. Des audits de sécurité réguliers permettent de maintenir une conformité continue et de s’adapter aux nouvelles menaces.
Mesures de sécurité relatives aux DSE et leur importance
Les DSE étant des cibles privilégiées, leur sécurité revêt une importance croissante. La sécurité des DSE englobe des mesures de protection spécialisées conçues pour protéger les ePHI au sein des systèmes d’information de santé.Elle doit tenir compte à la fois des vulnérabilités techniquesdes systèmes numériques et des exigences particulières en matière de confidentialité imposées par la réglementation dans le domaine de la santé.
La sécurité efficace des dossiers médicaux électroniques (DME) conformes à la loi HIPAA repose sur trois principes fondamentaux :
- Confidentiality protects against unauthorized access to sensitive patient data.
- Integrity maintains the accuracy and consistency of health records throughout their lifecycle.
- Availability makes certain that authorized users can access critical information when needed for patient care.
Mesures de sécurité essentielles pour les DSE
Ces mesures de sécurité relatives aux DSE peuvent aider les organismes de santé à protéger les données des patients tout en respectant les exigences de la loi HIPAA :
- Access controls: Role-based permissions that limit data access to authorized personnel based on job function and need-to-know basis.
- Authentication systems: Multi-factor authentication requiring multiple verification methods before granting system access.
- Encryption: Data encryption both at rest and in transit to protect information even if systems are breached.
- Audit trails: Comprehensive logging of all system activities to track who accessed records and what changes were made.
- Regular EHR security risk analysis: Systematic evaluation of security vulnerabilities and implementation of mitigation strategies.
- Backup and recovery: Regular data backups with tested recovery procedures to maintain availability during incidents.
- Physical safeguards: Restricted physical access to servers and workstations containing ePHI.
- Security awareness training: Ongoing education for all staff on security protocols and threat recognition.
Préoccupations relatives à la confidentialité et à la sécurité des DSE
L’intégrité et la confidentialité des données représentent des aspects distincts mais interdépendants des préoccupations en matière de confidentialité et de sécurité des DSE. L’intégrité des données vise à maintenir l’exactitude et l’exhaustivité des dossiers médicaux tout au long de leur cycle de vie : empêcher les modifications non autorisées, détecter les données corrompues et préserver la fiabilité des informations médicales.
La confidentialité consiste à contrôler qui peut accéder aux informations des patients et dans quelles circonstances. Ces deux éléments nécessitent des mesures de protection spécifiques afin de garantir la conformité à la loi HIPAA.
Si le chiffrement offre une couche de protection essentielle pour les données des DSE, il ne peut toutefois pas constituer une solution complète contre les violations de sécurité des DSE. Les données chiffrées restent vulnérables si les contrôles d’accès sont faibles, si les systèmes d’authentification sont compromis ou si des initiés abusent de leurs privilèges d’accès légitimes. Les organismes de santé doivent mettre en œuvre uneapproche de sécurité multicouchequi couvre l’ensemble des vulnérabilités potentielles afin de résoudre les problèmes de confidentialité et de sécurité des DSE.
Les contrôles d’accès, les journaux d’audit et les évaluations régulières des risques contribuent ensemble à préserver à la fois l’intégrité et la confidentialité des dossiers médicaux électroniques. Les contrôles d’accès limitent l’exposition des données en fonction des rôles et du besoin d’en connaître. Les journaux d’audit garantissent la traçabilité en enregistrant toutes les interactions avec les informations médicales protégées. Les évaluations des risques permettent d’identifier les vulnérabilités émergentes avant qu’elles ne puissent être exploitées.
“The shift to the cloud has gained momentum because it reduces technical debt and improves security,” says Jaimie Fox, Senior Technology Strategist at Microsoft. “Cloud providers offer far greater security than individual hospitals, allowing healthcare providers and EHR vendors to securely move infrastructure while focusing on innovation and efficiency.”
Many healthcare providers are increasingly recognizing the necessity to take advantage of the cloud’s advantages over traditional infrastructure. However, this shift raises a critical question: How can healthcare organizations protect mission-critical systems from cyber threats while ensuring they remain operational for patient care?
Renforcement de la sécurité des dossiers médicaux électroniques Cloud
With growing cyber threats to EHR systems, healthcare organizations must adopt proven strategies for cyber resilience. Key methods include leveraging cloud-based security infrastructure, comprehensive risk mitigation, and integrating AI into security workflows to enhance readiness against attacks.
Grâce àun personnel limité en matière de cybersécurité, les organismes de santé ont la possibilité d’utiliser le cloud renforcer leur posture de cybersécurité et remédier à la dette technique quiaffecte la majorité des hôpitaux américains. While complying with federal, state, and local regulations is crucial, mitigating cybersecurity risks goes beyond just meeting compliance standards.
“In cyber resilience, protecting data availability is as critical as ensuring its confidentiality and integrity,” says David Houlding, Microsoft’s Director of Global Healthcare Security and Compliance Strategy. “Healthcare organizations must also defend against breaches, insider threats, and third-party risks, which can cause severe disruptions, including system shutdowns.”
The cloud’s flexibility and scalability enable the rapid integration of advanced, data-intensive technologies that help healthcare cybersecurity professionals strengthen security and empower clinicians to apply cutting-edge tools to patient care.
“AI capabilities, which enhance productivity and reduce costs in EHR systems, are only achievable in a cloud environment,” notes Fox. “Traditional on-premises systems cannot support these advanced AI functions, limiting innovation and cutting-edge solutions in clinical care.”
AI can also revolutionize healthcare cybersecurity by quickly identifying and responding to potential threats to data, systems, and applications.
“With AI, security analysts can detect and respond to sophisticated attacks, such as phishing and spear phishing, which are now becoming more widespread and cheaper to execute due to attackers also using AI-driven automation,” says Houlding. “Additionally, AI can provide real-time guidance, helping security teams improve their skills on the job, making them better equipped to handle the rapidly evolving threat landscape.”
As healthcare organizations transition to the cloud, balancing innovation with security is essential.
Choosing the Right Cyber Resilience Partner
En tirant parti de la sécurité cloud et des protections basées sur l’IA,les prestataires de soins de santé peuvent protéger leurs systèmes critiques while driving clinical innovations in patient care.
“Commvault is a trusted Microsoft partner and a key partner for healthcare organizations seeking true cloud cyber resilience on Azure. They have an unmatched track record, and as you’ve heard from our colleagues, their value proposition is unique and industry-leading, says Karen Cox, Global Healthcare Partner Strategy Leader at Microsoft.
“Commvault is a leader and early participant in the Microsoft Copilot for Security Partner Program, using the latest technology to protect enterprises,” she continues. “Their solutions are fully integrated with Microsoft security, co-engineered with Microsoft, and adhere to Azure Protection Services standards. This makes Commvault an ideal partner for safeguarding healthcare applications and data, whether in the cloud or a hybrid environment.”
Healthcare organizations can strengthen their recovery strategies against EHR attacks by leveraging Commvault Cleanroom Recovery, the only solution validated by the Enterprise Strategy Group for ensuring recovery into a guaranteed clean environment. With ransomware posing a top threat, a secure and auditable recovery plan is essential for resuming operations quickly and safely.
By using Commvault’s advanced cyber resilience platform, healthcare organizations can recover quickly and safely without the risk of reinfection, protecting patient data and ensuring long-term operational security. Download our guide completpour préparer votre établissement de santé grâce à des mesures pratiques et des bonnes pratiques en matière de cyber-récupération.
