Older healthcare technologies, like outdated electronic health record (EHR) systems and old hardware, are common in the US healthcare system. According to the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), about 60 percent of rural hospitals faced cybersecurity incidents in the last three years. Many of these places use EHR systems and other IT setups that no longer get support from vendors. This means they cannot get security updates or fixes. Without these updates, weak spots stay open, making it easier for hackers to get in.
Using old systems often happens because of budget limits, especially in smaller hospitals and rural clinics. These places spend their money mostly on patient care, not cybersecurity. Many do not have cybersecurity experts on staff. Instead, they rely on general IT workers who do not have enough training. This leads to weak security and slower responses to threats. This lack of resources leaves openings that attackers can use.
Old technologies are at risk from different kinds of cyberattacks like ransomware, data breaches, and illegal access. These attacks can stop operations, causing delays in treatment and blocking access to patient records. This can be very dangerous. A 2023 study showed a 20 percent rise in death rates at hospitals that faced cyberattacks, mainly because of delays caused by these attacks.
Failing in healthcare cybersecurity doesn’t just mean losing data — it can put patients at risk and cause money problems for healthcare providers. For example, a cyberattack on Change Healthcare in February 2024 showed the dangers of using old technology and weak security. Change Healthcare handles almost 40 percent of medical claims in the US — about 15 billion claims a year. The attack happened because they did not use multi-factor authentication (MFA), a simple but important security step.
The impact was serious. Private health information of about one-third of Americans was leaked on the dark web. Hospitals and doctors also had money problems because claim processing stopped. UnitedHealth, Change Healthcare’s parent company, paid $22 million in Bitcoin as ransom but could not be sure that hackers deleted all the stolen data. This event showed how risky old systems are without proper security.
Besides losing money and data, breaches damage the reputation of healthcare providers. Patients lose trust in the ability of providers to keep their health information safe. When patients do not trust their providers, they might avoid care or not share important health details. This hurts the quality of care.
Rural hospitals face special problems that make them more at risk. They often have limited money to update IT systems. With few cybersecurity experts on staff, they depend on general IT help. Because budgets are tight, cybersecurity often is not a top priority compared to patient care.
These rural hospitals use old EHRs and devices that no longer get security updates. This leaves them open to cyberattacks. They also have trouble managing third-party vendors who have access to their systems but may not have strong security. This raises chances of attacks through these vendors.
Cyberattacks can seriously disrupt rural healthcare, causing delays when patient data cannot be accessed. This harms patient care. Since rural healthcare provides important medical access to underserved communities, weak cybersecurity in these places is a serious public health issue.
Progress in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation offers solutions to many data protection and efficiency problems in healthcare. AI security tools can watch networks all the time, spot strange activities, and react faster to threats than older methods.
Automated Threat Detection
AI systems can check a lot of data across healthcare networks to find signs of cyberattacks like ransomware or unauthorized access. This helps stop threats before damage occurs.
Reducing Human Error
Many breaches happen because of human mistakes like weak passwords or phishing. AI-powered automation can lower these risks by enforcing strong login methods, including MFA, and filtering suspicious messages.
Streamlining Administrative Tasks
Automation of routine jobs like appointment scheduling and patient communication lowers stress on staff. This frees them to focus on harder tasks, including cybersecurity. Some companies provide AI-driven phone answering services that help healthcare providers manage calls safely and efficiently. These systems also reduce risks from phone scams.
Integration with Security Protocols
AI and automation tools can follow healthcare regulations and privacy rules. They ensure data is handled according to HIPAA rules and warn administrators of unusual actions or rule breaks. For example, AI can alert if someone tries to access patient records at odd hours or without permission.
Forward-Looking Investments
Healthcare groups, especially smaller and rural ones, can gain from using cloud-based AI cybersecurity systems. These systems provide scalable protection without needing big IT teams. AI can learn about new threats and update defenses to match changing risks.
Healthcare organizations must protect patient data not just to follow the law but because it is the right thing to do. The Change Healthcare breach showed that ignoring simple security steps like MFA can cause big problems. Leaders need to prioritize cybersecurity policies and spending to avoid such incidents.
Healthcare facilities should work with bigger health systems or security service providers to get help they cannot afford on their own. Government grants also can provide money for upgrades and staff training.
Leadership must create a culture that includes cybersecurity in all parts of operations and decisions. Regular training for staff about security best practices and new threats is important. This lowers risks caused by both technology and human errors.
Healthcare providers, especially smaller and rural ones, need to review their IT systems and focus on replacing old technologies. Without upgrades, risks stay high, putting patient data at risk and threatening care quality.
Investing in modern systems with features like multi-factor authentication, data encryption, and AI monitoring is not just optional but necessary to protect healthcare operations. Using AI and automation for tasks also cuts workload and helps protect data.
Because cyber threats are growing in number and skill, staying up to date with technology is key to keeping patient trust, following laws, and ensuring smooth care. The future of healthcare cybersecurity in the US depends on timely upgrades, smart use of AI, and strong leadership focused on protecting patient information.
By acting early on updating technology and security, medical practice administrators, owners, and IT managers can create a safer healthcare system for both patients and providers.
The cyberattack on Change Healthcare led to millions of Americans potentially having their sensitive health information leaked. It also knocked the company offline, causing significant cash flow problems for healthcare providers due to a backlog of unpaid claims.
MFA is an essential cybersecurity measure that enhances security by requiring multiple forms of verification before granting access to sensitive systems. It is considered a standard practice to prevent unauthorized access, as evidenced by its absence in the Change Healthcare incident.
The investigation revealed that UnitedHealth did not implement MFA on a critical server, which contributed directly to the cyberattack’s success. This oversight was particularly egregious given MFA’s status as an industry standard.
UnitedHealth, as the parent company of Change Healthcare, bears responsibility for securing sensitive health data, particularly in the aftermath of a major cyberattack that compromised such data for millions of Americans.
UnitedHealth has established a support line and website for affected individuals to access services such as credit protection and identity theft protection, helping mitigate the fallout from the breach.
UnitedHealth paid a ransom of $22 million in Bitcoin to the cybercriminals, indicating the substantial financial impact the breach had on the company.
It is estimated that nearly a third of Americans had their sensitive health information compromised due to the cyberattack, highlighting the extensive reach of the data breach.
Despite paying the ransom, UnitedHealth could not guarantee that further leaks would not happen in the future, underscoring ongoing vulnerabilities in their cybersecurity.
The cyberattack was partly attributed to Change Healthcare’s older technologies, which may not have been sufficiently upgraded to meet modern cybersecurity standards, including the implementation of MFA.
Lawmakers criticized UnitedHealth for lacking basic cybersecurity safeguards like MFA, emphasizing the company’s failure to protect sensitive data adequately, which they deemed a significant oversight for a leading health insurer.
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