A Prime Target

Posted: March 6th, 2016

By Denise Anderson

Denise Anderson is President of the National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the health sector from physical and cyber attacks and incidents. Anderson serves as Chair of the National Council of ISACs. She is also a private sector liaison to the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center, a representative to the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center— a Department of Homeland Security-led watch and warning center, and sits on the Cyber Unified Coordination Group.

On February 5^th, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center lost access to its computers after being infected with ransomware – a type of malware that hold files hostage until a ransom is paid. Eventually, the hospital paid $17,000 to regain control of its systems, and started a national dialogue about cybersecurity in the medical industry in the process. The Cipher Brief spoke with Denise Anderson, the President of the National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center, who says increased use of internet capable devices in hospitals is expanding the attack service, and therefore the medical industry needs to start addressing its cyber-vulnerabilities as quickly as possible.

The Cipher Brief: It seems like healthcare providers are increasingly being targeted by malicious hackers. How has the cyber-threat environment for the healthcare industry changed over the last 10 years? What do you believe has motivated these changes?

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