Healthcare

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report on the state of electronic health information. Specifically, they addressed the ineffectiveness of current guidance to address security risks.

The vast majority of hospitals and of other healthcare providers say that security is a key business priority. However, healthcare breach numbers are climbing and the costs associated with these breaches are also trending up.

While big breaches grab all the headlines, smaller breaches can cause just as much trouble for those affected.

These two new HIPAA settlements are meant to send a strong message about enforcement and accountability. The result for one of those cases was a record-setting settlement of $5.55 million.

Under the GDPR, organizations may be subject to data protection audits at any time as well as strict penalties for non-compliance. Preparation over the next two years is key.