Security News > 2024 > June > Major cybersecurity upgrades announced to safeguard American healthcare

Recent cyberattacks targeting the nation's healthcare system have demonstrated the vulnerability of hospitals and payment systems.

In January of 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services launched a healthcare cybersecurity gateway website to simplify access to the Department's healthcare-specific cybersecurity information and resources and published voluntary Healthcare and Public Health Cybersecurity Performance Goals designed to help healthcare institutions plan and prioritize high-impact cybersecurity practices.

In May of 2024, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health announced the launch of the Universal Patching and Remediation for Autonomous Defense program, a cybersecurity effort that will invest more than $50 million to create tools for information technology teams to better defend the hospital environments they are tasked with securing.

Most rural hospitals are critical access hospitals, meaning they are located more than 35 miles from another hospital, which makes diversions of patients and staffing-intensive manual workarounds in response to attacks more difficult.

Recognizing the critical role these hospitals play in the communities they serve, the White House worked with and received commitments from leading U.S. technology providers to provide free and low-cost resources for all 1,800-2,100 rural hospitals across the nation.

For independent Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Emergency Hospitals, Microsoft is extending its nonprofit program to provide grants and up to a 75% discount on security products optimized for smaller organizations.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2024/06/12/american-healthcare-cybersecurity/