"How Healthcare Cybersecurity Benchmarking Can Help Sector Enhance Security Efforts"
A new report commissioned by Censinet and developed by the Ponemon Institute suggests that healthcare cybersecurity benchmarking data can help health Information Technology (IT) professionals make data-driven decisions, evaluate program efficacy, and enhance their organization's overall security posture. Ponemon Institute surveyed 579 IT and IT security professionals working in healthcare organizations, asking them questions regarding the importance of cybersecurity benchmarking and their experiences with ransomware attacks. As ransomware becomes more recognized as a threat to patient safety, healthcare organizations must make more informed, risk-based security decisions than ever before. The report suggests that peer benchmarking is crucial in helping the sector minimize risk successfully. Sixty percent of respondents deemed benchmarks "valuable" or "very valuable" in determining how much resources and funds to allocate to cybersecurity. In addition, 61 percent of respondents reported that benchmarking was useful for showing cybersecurity framework compliance, and slightly more than half of respondents advocated benchmarking's power to enhance cybersecurity programs. Nearly 70 percent of respondents cited benchmarking as a valuable technique for developing a business case for hiring extra cybersecurity workers and purchasing new technologies. Respondents also cited benchmarking's use in creating cybersecurity program objectives and recovering from ransomware attacks. This article continues to discuss how healthcare cybersecurity benchmarking can help the healthcare sector's security efforts.