Cybersecurity Framework Implementation Guide Helps Healthcare Organizations Manage Risks

The Health Sector Coordinating Council Cybersecurity Working Group and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services jointly released a guide to help the public and private healthcare sectors align their cybersecurity programs with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. The Cybersecurity Framework Implementation Guide outlines concrete actions healthcare businesses can take right away to control cyber risks to their IT systems and lower the frequency of cyber events that have a negative impact on the industry. The necessity for healthcare providers and organisations to evaluate their cyber health and take steps to improve cybersecurity is reinforced by recent high-profile assaults. The handbook was jointly prepared by the HHS and HSCC – a public-private collaboration for critical infrastructure protection. Significant content contributions were made by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and other federal entities. Erik Decker, chair of the HSCC Cybersecurity Working Group and Intermountain Healthcare, said, "This publication is an example of an innovative partnership that industry and government leveraged to develop actionable recommendations for higher competency and accountability in healthcare cybersecurity."