Governance & Risk Management , Healthcare , Industry Specific

Cybersecurity in Healthcare: It's Time to 'Wake Up'

The healthcare sector is making progress in moving from a reactive to a proactive approach to cybersecurity as it learns lessons from other sectors, including financial services, says Greg Garcia, executive director for cybersecurity at the Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council.

See Also: Frost Radar™ on Healthcare IoT Security in the United States

Thought leaders in the healthcare sector need to issue a cybersecurity call to action that says, "Wake up, we have work to do," Garcia declares, stressing the need to build better awareness.

In a video interview at Information Security Media Group's recent Healthcare Security Summit in New York, Garcia discusses:

• The need to improve collaboration on information security in healthcare;
• Reasons why the regulatory structure should build in incentives for "doing the right thing";
• The challenges involved in improving the security of medical devices.

Garcia is the executive director for cybersecurity at the Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council. The council is the convening organization for critical healthcare infrastructure organizations across six major subsectors that's working in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services and other government agencies to protect the security and resilience of the sector, patient safety and public health. He was the nation's first Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications under President George W. Bush. He also served as executive director of the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council and held executive positions with Bank of America, 3Com Corporation, Information Technology Association of America and Americans for Computer Privacy.