HIMSSCast: Cybersecurity often takes a back seat to other priorities at rural hospitals

You're always going to lose the battle between cyber defense and having enough nurses at the bedside, says security expert Kate Pierce. According to Kate Pierce, senior virtual information security officer for Fortified Health Security and executive director of Subsidy, rural hospitals are just as vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches as larger, more urban health facilities. The Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee of the U.S. Senate recently requested testimony from Pierce regarding the cybersecurity issues rural hospitals are currently facing. Unsurprisingly, she said, funding and staffing are the major obstacles. She requested, among other things, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency establish a cyber security relief fund so that hospitals might receive quick aid in the event of a cyberattack. Although the committee did not make any recommendations right away, Pierce is optimistic that something will be done this year.