California Warns Healthcare Facilities on Cybercrime

Attorney general urges providers to take proactive steps to protect against cybersecurity threats

By Dan Hounsell, Senior Editor, Facility Market


The California Attorney General recently issued a guidance bulletin to healthcare providers reminding them of their compliance obligations under the state’s health data privacy laws and urging providers to take proactive steps to protect against cybersecurity threats. The guidance comes in response to growing alarm over a surge in cybercrime against hospitals and other health providers.

The guidance reminds providers to implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to prevent and mitigate against ransomware and other cybersecurity attacks. It also outlines the minimum preventative measures that California health care providers, specifically, should implement in order to protect their data systems from cyberattacks:

  • keep all operating systems and software housing health data current with the latest security patches
  • install and maintain virus protection software
  • provide regular data security training for staff members that includes education on not clicking on suspicious web links and guarding against phishing emails
  • restrict users from downloading, installing, and running unapproved software
  • maintain and regularly test a data backup and recovery plan for all critical information to limit the impact of data or system loss in the event of a data security incident.


September 16, 2021


Topic Area: Information Technology


Recent Posts

The Future of Backup Power Systems in Healthcare Facilities

Manufacturers discuss what trends are shaping the future of backup power systems in healthcare.


Infection Control is Key to Ongoing Measles Outbreak

Infection control is essential to protecting both patients and staff from contracting measles.


Kaiser Permanente to Open New Parker Medical Offices

It also announced it's in the early stages of planning a rebuild and expansion of its Westminster Medical Offices.


Skanska Completes Renovation for New Sutter Health Care Center

The new facility will provide internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, as well as lab and imaging services.


Probiotic Cleaners: The Start of a Cleaning Revolution?

Advantages of probiotic cleaning include fewer resistant genes and cost savings through decreased antibiotic use.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.