In a four-part series on cybersecurity for the HME News Smart Talk column, our Vice President of Operations Jeff Woodham discussed everything from why cybersecurity is important to HME providers to whether cybersecurity should be viewed as a project or a process to specific activities to improve cybersecurity posture to advanced activities to reduce cyber risk.
Check out all four articles here:
This article addresses why cybersecurity is important to HME providers. It outlines the risks unprotected organizations face including economic and reputational damage, patient and employee harm, compliance failures, and more.
Here, Jeff discusses whether HME providers should view cybersecurity as a project or a business process. He compares projects to single snapshots and processes to regular intervals/iterations, making it clear that ongoing cybersecurity efforts are best for business improvement and cyber risk reduction.
In this article, Jeff digs into specific activities that can help HME providers improve their cybersecurity posture. This includes everything from multi-factor authentication (MFA) to email phishing simulation campaigns to firewalls and more.
The final article in the four-part series discusses advanced activities for reducing cyber risk once the basics have been covered. Jeff discusses utilizing a Security Operations Center (SOC) and conducting third-party risk assessments and data privacy assessments.
Although these particular articles are specific to HME providers, the same concepts apply across all organizations and industries. Cybersecurity is important, and it should be approached as an ongoing business process rather than a once-a-year project. Several basic steps can be taken to reduce risks, and once those initial bases are covered, many advanced activities can enhance your organization's protection.
