Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1445937
42 HEALTHCARE NEWS How Northwell has adapted to onslaught of cyberattacks during pandemic By Jackie Drees C yberattacks have escalated since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic by becoming more frequent and sophisticated, leaving health systems such as Northwell Health to closely examine cyber- security efforts and stay flexible to protect systems. Kathy Hughes, vice president and chief information security officer at Northwell Health, discussed some of the measures the New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based health system has taken to combat cyber threats during e Wall Street Journal's Pro Cybersecurity Executive Forum. Here are six insights from Ms. Hughes on the state of cybersecurity and Northwell's attack mitigation efforts, according to the Journal's Dec. 7 report. 1. Northwell, alongside many other healthcare organizations, has rolled out more Internet of Things-type technolo- gies such as telemedicine platforms and remote monitoring devices. From a cybersecurity standpoint, the devices are potential threats or entry points onto its network. 2. To address potential threats linked to IoT devices, Northwell has applied similar tech- niques as it does with traditional IT devices to ensure all are protected. ese efforts include ensuring devices are on supported operating systems, have firmware updates and patching, and have anti-malware protec- tion, Ms. Hughes said. 3. Northwell has several groups focused on different cybersecurity measures including IT security tools and technologies; risk man- agement; policies and governance oversee- ing its awareness-in-training program; and disaster recovery. 4. Northwell modeled its program on the Na- tional Institute of Standards and Technology cybersecurity framework, which requires the health system to identify everything it pro- tects, detect if any malicious activity occurs and respond to alerts. 5. While Ms. Hughes said Northwell's cybersecurity program itself hasn't changed during the pandemic, it has had to adapt to the "onslaught of attacks that were coming in." "e number of phishing emails, for ex- ample, and different types of attacks that we saw really kept us on our toes. ere were a couple of technologies that we had to deploy rather quickly in response to current activi- ties, and costs and adjustments that had to be made," she said. 6. One of the tools Northwell deployed to mitigate phishing email attacks was a tech- nology that does a live scan of a URL when it's clicked in an email, which lets the health system determine if an email is malicious in real time and blocks the message. n "e number of phishing emails, for example, and different types of attacks that we saw really kept us on our toes. ere were a couple of technologies that we had to deploy rather quickly in response to current activities, and costs and adjustments that had to be made." Kathy Hughes, VP and chief information security officer, Northwell Health New Mexico House approves legislation that allows independent physicians to work in hospitals By Patsy Newitt T he New Mexico House passed an update to medical malpractice law to ensure independent physicians can get the insurance they need to continue working at hospitals after Dec. 31, the Albuquerque Journal reported Dec. 10. The update was prompted by independent physicians and their medical prac- tices, including Albuquerque-based Southwest Gastroenterology and South- west Endoscopy, who told legislators that they expected to either close their offices or curtail operations Dec. 31 because of an inability to get insurance. The groups said payers had raised questions about how to interpret in the new Medical Malpractice Act, which took effect Jan. 1. According to the Journal, the groups said they won't be able to secure medical malpractice insurance without technical changes outlined in the proposal. Payers have allegedly refused to provide reimbursements to some indepen- dent physicians and independent outpatient clinics, citing specific lan- guage in the act. The proposal, crafted by a coalition of independent physicians, medical prac- tices and trial lawyers, has been sent to the Senate. n