Enhancing cybersecurity in health: protecting digital health information systems

It is planned to organize the webinar with the participation of WHO/Europe on July 18, during which the crucial relevance of cybersecurity in the sector of health care will be highlighted. This is the 9th webinar in the Decoding Data and Digital Health series that presents and discusses topical issues in the digital health area relevant to WHO European countries. 
 
Cyber Resilience that the world has now required 

Currently, threats such as Covid-19 have significantly advanced the utilization of tele-education, electronic health records and other related solutions. Although these tools are enhancing service provision and accessibility, they might act as giant vulnerabilities for the health-care sector’s cybersecurity. 
 
Since health information is considered highly sensitive, health care has emerged as one of the targets of cyber-terrorism most probable. As postured by IBM, they realized that this sector suffered one of the most expensive data breaches in 2023 at about US$ 10. 93 million, which is almost double that it has of the financial branch. Such breaches can cost organizations valuable funds and reputation, expose patients’ confidential information and confidentiality, cause operational disturbances, delay patient treatments and even endanger patients’ lives. 
 
The integration of health-care systems is growing day by day and so the security threats hence there should be preventive security. This involves establishing secure technical features, precise plans concerning incident response, and raising awareness concerning information security among various personnel in the health facility and the public. 
 
WHO acknowledges that it should improve cybersecurity in health care. In the action plan for the strategic directions of digital health for the WHO European Region 2023–2030, it is mentioned that there should be a focus on how to maintain the security and privacy of the health data ensuring that awareness and promising methods for their protection are enhanced. In this regard, WHO/Europe is currently in the process of developing the cybersecurity assessment methodology for digital health information systems. 
 
The webinar
 
A 1-hour event will be held to assemble the representatives of the world to introduce the practical details of cyber security in the health care facilities. This encompasses the Self assessment matrix skills on how to address threats of cyber security, how to adhere to the set regulations and standards in handling the sensitive health information, and how to embraced the advanced technologies in securing those sensitive health information. It also will help the panel of experts to identify the current trends and standards within the context of cybersecurity frameworks and guidelines for the healthcare structures, including NIST, ISO and GDPR. Areas such as data protection, user authentication, network protection and reporting, and reviews shall be some of the practices in place. 
 
It will be conducted in English and Russian since the webinar involves an international audience. The meeting is accessible to people interested in digital health technologies, developers of these technologies, health and care employees, politicians, scientists and activists involved in advocacy for people with certain illnesses. Kindly use the registration link if you want to participate in the said tests. 
 
Trademarked logo for the Decoding Data and Digital Health webinar series The webinar series is funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the action “Supporting Member States in the WHO European Region in strengthening health information systems and boosting health data governance”.