Navigating New Healthcare Cybersecurity Regulations: What You Need to Know

Cybersecurity regulations often emerge in response to major incidents. For instance, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) followed the Enron fraud, updates to FISMA came after the 2015 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) breach, and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s cybersecurity disclosure provisions were implemented after breaches at Equifax and SolarWinds. However, these reactive measures often struggle to remain effective in the face of rapidly evolving cyber threats.This reactive approach is again evident as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposes significant regulatory changes following the 2024 cyberattack on Change Healthcare. This attack disrupted healthcare insurance claims and patient care, underscoring vulnerabilities within the industry. The proposed changes aim to modernize regulations and impose stricter compliance measures to address the growing cybersecurity challenges.