Healthcare Cyber Security (Essay Sample)

Healthcare Cyber Security
Name:
Institution:
Course:
Date:
Healthcare Cyber Security
Barbara in her journal, New Threats Drive Improved Practices with the title State Cyber security in Health Care Organizations gives an account of cyber security threats towards health care. She admirably uses nutritious, palatable words in her explanations while arguing out her case. However, reading between the lines using high definition quality glasses and filtering her content into the screens of truth as well as reality suggest otherwise in some scenarios (Barbara, 2014).
Health care infrastructure has not been the only culprits of cyber security threats but also other infrastructures as well. Nobody can contradict the assertion that cyber criminals have on numerous occasions attacked health care. However, the work doesn't provide sufficient evidence to the effect that the sector has been the most lucrative in threat compared to other sectors. Banking and financial infrastructure are reported to have more cases to cyber threats. Clients of various banking institutions have reported claims of losing a huge sum of cash in unclear circumstances. The electronic system of cash withdrawals such as the use of ATM cards, credit cards among other operational cards have had disadvantages. There are no appropriate systems that verify the true identity of the card holders. Moreover, the machines used for cash withdrawal at various cash points are vulnerable to manipulation by advanced computer hackers. An individual can be mugged and in life-threatening situations they are grudgingly and reluctantly forced to avail verification codes accorded to these cards. In some situations, application software has been developed by cyber criminals that once somebody withdraws money from ATM dispensing machine, these devices can retrieve information on the content of the cards. It makes it easy to interfere with their accounts (Vaseashta, Susmann, Braman & IOS Press, 2014).
The increase in cyber threats is associated with several factors. The convergence of globalization, interconnectivity channels and online governing portals created by public and private sector has significantly impacted by the widespread cybercriminal activities. Computers have been interconnected with several links. The links are providing channels of accessing information and details from one source to the other irrespective of the miles or distance between the systems. The internet offers channels through which anyone can virtually take part in globalization.
The internet users (over the past decade) have been increasing rapidly. The approximated number of these users in the US has increased from four to sixty-four percent. Moreover, the government has been encouraging its citizens to take full advantage of the available resources that come alongside the use of the internet. In reinforcement of the above statement, the amount of time spent on online has been rising. Reports from digital measurement consultant called Com Score revealed that the average American spends thirty-two hours online with only five percent offline. More sophisticated devices are being innovated daily. Competing companies sweat their blood out to come up with the best models of gadgets that enable internet access. Local newspaper dailies, as well as, other media usually advertise the improved models of devices that they offer in the market frequently (Vaseashta, Susmann, Braman & IOS Press, 2014).
The harsh economic times, as well as, the increase in unemployment situation, have magnified cyber threats. People are struggling to make ends meet. The situation compels some individuals to resort unscrupulous activities. It is believed that the problem in unemployment correlates to insecurity not only in the physical aspects but also virtual insecurity. Therefore, the increase in the rate of unemployment results into increase in insecurity (Vaseashta, Susmann, Braman & IOS Press, 2014).
Barbara gives a vivid description of the measures that are available in combating cyber security in health care sector. For Instant, she gives a detailed illumination on information risks in terms of priority of the most to the least risky on the electronic medical or health record system according to the surveys conducted. Based on this information, she tries to marry them with the existing ways that can be employed to minimize cyber insecurity in the health sector. It is common knowledge that healthcare sector is a very sensitive docket. Patient records should only be privy to those in charge, and any leakage of contents of medical records without the consent of the patients is tantamount to abuse. The ethics surrounding healthcare sector should be upheld with all the resources at disposal. When this is unaccomplished, then serious repercussions are bound to surface. For an instant, medical research institutions will have a rough time in conducting research that require public and patients involved due to lack of trust and confidentiality of information presented to them (Barbara, 2014).