Cyber-attacks have been around since the 1970s. They have been around since the beginning of the internet and computers. Today, hackers are becoming more sophisticated with even greater implications for those individuals and companies whose security system was breached.

The most coveted type of information today?

Personal health care data.

Yes, you read that right! Healthcare data breaches are increasing year after year, and it isn’t slowing down any time soon. Healthcare data is valuable on the black market because it often contains all of an individual’s personally identifiable information, as opposed to a single marker. Here are some examples of what can be gained illegally:

  • Social Security Numbers
  • Patient Names
  • Patient Addresses
  • Personal Health Information (PHI) can also be used to learn about past and current treatments, genetics, and family history.

Often these cyber-attacks see and take hundreds if not thousands of patient data. According to a Trustwave report a healthcare record may be valued at up to $250 per record on the black market, compared to $5.40 for the next highest value record. Because of the monetary gain, it is essential that this security threat is dealt with and not underestimated.

How well are you protecting your employees and patients? It’s important to ask your vendors about cybersecurity and the measures they take to protect PHI from getting into the wrong hands.