Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

The 'Appropriate' Use of Analytics for Breach Detection

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 4, 2018

The appropriate use of predictive analytics, going beyond a "set it and forget it" approach, could dramatically improve breach detection, says Teresa Grogan, CIO of the consultancy VertitechIT .

Regulations Create Pressure to Take Privacy More Seriously

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 28, 2018

Companies that want to continue doing business globally will need to take privacy much more seriously, especially in light of increasingly strict new laws, ranging from the California Consumer Privacy Act to the EU's GDPR, says privacy and security expert Michelle Robles.

Messy Insider Breach Impacts 258,000 Over Five-Year Span

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 20, 2018

A messy insider incident - allegedly involving an elected official in Wisconsin who is suspected of installing keylogging software to inappropriately access county systems over a five-year span - has impacted more than 258,000 individuals.

Cyber Warnings About Certain Philips Medical Devices

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 16, 2018

The Department of Homeland Security and Philips have issued alerts about cyber vulnerabilities that have been identified in some of the company's medical devices. Are device makers becoming more forthcoming about cyber issues?

Are Legacy Medical Device Security Flaws Going Unfixed?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 13, 2018

Many medical device makers appear to building better cybersecurity into their products, but some manufacturers are still avoiding fixing vulnerabilities in legacy devices that pose potential safety risks, says security researcher Billy Rios, who discusses the latest flaws in some Medtronic cardiac devices.

HIPAA Security Rule Turns 20: It's Time for a Facelift

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 10, 2018

As the HIPAA security rule turns 20, it's time for regulators to make updates reflecting the changing cyberthreat landscape and technological evolution that's happened over the past two decades, says security expert Tom Walsh.

Numerous OpenEMR Security Flaws Found; Most Patched

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 9, 2018

Nearly two dozen security weaknesses in OpenEMR - open source electronic medical record and practice management software - left patient data vulnerable to cyberattacks before most were patched, according to the London-based security research firm Project Insecurity.

A New SOC Strategy in Light of Skills Shortage

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 30, 2018

A move to a "more autonomous" security operations center is helping Encompass Health cope with a shortage of skilled cybersecurity workers while improving its response to cyber threats, says Mitch Thomas, chief security officer.

LabCorp Still Recovering From Ransomware Attack

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 20, 2018

Medical testing laboratory firm LabCorp is still working to fully recover systems functionality nearly a week after a cyberattack that the company now claims involved "a new variant" of ransomware. What can other organizations do to avoid becoming the next victim?

LabCorp Cyberattack Impacts Testing Processes

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 17, 2018

Medical laboratory testing firm LabCorp is investigating a weekend cyberattack on its IT network, which resulted in the company taking certain processes offline. The attack is just the latest cyber assault on the healthcare sector.

Travel-Related Breaches: Mitigating the Risks

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 16, 2018

The hacking of an email account of a medical clinic employee during travels overseas demonstrates the risks posed to data when workers travel. Security experts offer insights on mitigating those risks.

EHR Vendor Mistake Impacts 150,000 U.K. Patients

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 5, 2018

A coding mistake by an electronic health records vendor has resulted in a data breach impacting thousands of United Kingdom patients. But the incident also serves as a reminder to healthcare entities in the U.S. and elsewhere about the variety of data privacy and security risks vendors can pose.

Humana Notifying Victims of 'Identity Spoofing' Attack

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 2, 2018

Humana is notifying individuals in multiple states that the company was a recent target of an "identity spoofing attack" that potentially compromised personal information of its members, including those participating in the health insurer's Go365 wellness programs.

Big Data: Understanding the Privacy, Security Risks

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  June 29, 2018

What are the biggest privacy and security concerns in healthcare when it comes to the use of big data and data analytics tools? Attorneys Elizabeth Mann and Brad Peterson explain what organizations need to know before they dig in.

Medical Device Cyber Vulnerabilities: More Alerts

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  June 8, 2018

The Department of Homeland Security has issued two more alerts about cyber vulnerabilities in certain medical devices. The stream of recent advisories is helping to draw more attention to the importance of addressing device security. But healthcare providers face the challenge of tracking and mitigating all risks.