Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

When Do Medical Device Security Flaws Equal Clinical Risk?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 1, 2016

At least some of the alleged cybersecurity vulnerabilities in St. Jude Medical cardiac devices that were found by research firm MedSec Holdings don't necessarily translate to serious clinical risks for patients, says medical device security expert Kevin Fu.

Analyzing the Global Cybersecurity Skills Shortage

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 3, 2016

A new survey shows 82 percent of organizations around the world are struggling with a shortage of staff with cybersecurity skills. Training expert Simone Petrella analyzes the survey results and spotlights the skills needed now to fight emerging cyber threats.

Congressmen: Ransomware Requires New Guidance

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 5, 2016

Members of Congress have sent a letter to federal regulators saying that because ransomware attacks are "different" from other breaches in the healthcare sector, there's a need for new recommendations in upcoming government guidance.

First Business Associate HIPAA Penalty Announced

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 5, 2016

In the first HIPAA enforcement action against a business associate, federal regulators have smacked a nonprofit organization with a $650,000 penalty following an investigation into a 2014 security incident affecting just 412 patients.

$55 Million in Digital Currency Stolen from Investment Fund

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  June 20, 2016

An experimental investment fund based on the digital currency ether has been hacked, with about $55 million worth of the currency stolen, according to news reports.

32.8 Million Twitter Credentials May Have Been Leaked

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  June 9, 2016

More than 32.8 million Twitter credentials have been compromised and are being offered for sale on the dark web, claims LeakedSource, a subscription-based breach notification service. But some security experts question whether the credentials are current and authentic.

Analysis: HHS Precision Medicine Security Framework

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  May 31, 2016

Federal regulators have released a new framework of data security principles to guide healthcare entities and researchers participating in the Obama administration's Precision Medicine Initiative. But is it enough to safeguard sensitive patient data?

Did a MySpace Hack Compromise 427 Million Passwords?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  May 27, 2016

The breach notification site LeakedSource claims that social networking website MySpace has been hacked, with 360 million credentials containing 427 million encrypted passwords compromised. But LeakedSource acknowledges the age of the credentials is unknown. And the veracity of the data remains in question.

Ransomware: Healthcare Fights Back

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  May 24, 2016

A surge in ransomware attacks on hospitals is driving healthcare organizations large and small - as well as lawmakers and law enforcement agencies - to consider new and improved approaches to dealing with this evolving threat.

Important Lesson From Trade Secrets Case

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 27, 2016

The most important lesson from the lawsuit electronic health records vendor Epic Systems filed against Tata Consultancy Services is that data security controls must extend beyond protecting personally identifiable information to include intellectual property, attorney Ron Raether explains in this audio report.

Epic Systems vs. Tata: Key Security Questions

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 21, 2016

Epic Systems' successful lawsuit against India's Tata Consultancy Services raises many security questions. For example, why did Epic find out about the allegedly inappropriate downloading of trade secrets from an external whistleblower, rather than as a result of internal detection efforts?

Jury Awards EHR Vendor $940 Million in Trade Secrets Case

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  April 18, 2016

A jury's decision to award $940 million in damages to electronic health records software vendor Epic Systems, which had sued India's Tata Consultancy Services alleging theft of trade secrets, serves up lessons about the importance of restricting access to all sensitive data, including intellectual property.

Verizon Confirms Breach Affecting Business Customers

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 25, 2016

Verizon Enterprise Solutions, which regularly assists clients in responding to their data breaches, admits it's suffered its own breach. The breach of contact information reportedly affected 1.5 million business customers, who now face greater risk of phishing attacks.

Rules of Cybersecurity Changing for Healthcare Sector

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 1, 2016

The cyberattacks that we've seen in the healthcare sector over the past year are starting to rewrite the rules for healthcare-related businesses in a way we really haven't seen before. How are you upping your game?

Anthem Breach: Lessons One Year Later

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  February 26, 2016

It's been just over a year since health plan Anthem Inc. reported a record-breaking hacker attack affecting nearly 79 million individuals. A number of key lessons have emerged from that breach that other organizations can apply to improve their own data security.