From mobile apps that assist with taking medicine on time to smart appliances that monitor vitals, the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming ubiquitous in healthcare. However, IoT’s expansion brings new risks, vulnerabilities, and security challenges for healthcare practitioners and their patients.

Disasters can strike at any time, and can put you out of business if you’re unprepared. One way they can do the most damage is by disrupting your Voice over IP (VoIP) systems. If they’re offline, you lose customers, productivity, and money by the minute.

The WannaCry and Petya ransomware attacks were a huge wakeup call for healthcare organizations to update their security software. Unfortunately, hackers evolve at an incredible rate, and they’ve developed a new ‘Locky-like’ ransomware strain that can catch many in the healthcare industry off guard.

Blockchain is the newest technology to fuel the Silicon Valley hype train. Everyone is talking about the wonderful things it can do, but few have explained how it works in layman’s terms. Stay ahead of your competition with a crash course in this new and exciting technology!
What is blockchain?
Although the technology was first associated with Bitcoin and other digital currencies, blockchain is not exclusive to the financial sector.

Google has recently made changes to its personal information policy, including a major one for the healthcare industry. The search giant has begun removing private medical records from its search results, preventing cybercriminals from taking advantage of these resources that were previously available after only a few keystrokes.

Keeping up with HIPAA regulations may be a pain for most healthcare institutions, but it does provide guidelines on how to protect your organization from devastating cyberattacks. That said, following HIPAA rules may be your best shot in fending off ransomware like WannaCry.

A few generations ago, healthcare workers had far fewer opportunities to gossip about patients. But with social media and instant messaging, healthcare employees have plenty of opportunities to breach information before realizing what they’ve done.

Telemedicine means exactly as it sounds -- a medical service delivered via telephone or any communications technology. It sounds like a new development in medicine, but it’s really not. Although there have been many great advances in healthcare, most people prefer the conventional way of getting treatment at the hospital or clinic.

Healthcare providers have a lot on their plate: Caring for patients is first and meeting compliance regulations comes at a close second. Hospitals and smaller practices truly benefit from technology experts coming on-site, installing all the right IT systems, and leaving clearly outlined instructions, amounting to a swift and inexpensive process.

When talking about IT within the healthcare industry, it’s pretty difficult for conversations to stray too far from HIPAA compliance. And as the number of audits and penalties continue to increase, those conversations only become more prevalent. As small- and medium-sized businesses review their policies at the beginning of a new year, let’s cover some of the most fundamental HIPAA considerations, right here.