Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/731691
112 CIO / HEALTH IT Health IT Salaries Up 2.2% Compared to 2015 By Akanksha Jayanthi I n the past year, health IT professionals may have noticed a slight bump in their paychecks. The aver- age health IT salary increased 2.2 percent since 2015, according to Health eCareers' 2016 Salary Guide. In 2016, the average health IT salary was $91,251, ac- cording to the report. The guide offers a salary calculator that filters salaries by profession, specialty, location and experience lev- el. Health IT executives reported an average salary of $127,500, and the analysts reported an average salary of $80,000. Health IT jobs had the fifth highest average compen- sation in the healthcare-related jobs analyzed for the report. Physicians and surgeons came out on top at $255,648, followed by executives ($134,632), phy- sician assistants ($105,856) and nurse practitioners ($100,549). n US Appoints First-Ever Federal CISO By Akanksha Jayanthi G regory Touhill has been appointed the first ever Federal CISO where he will lead cybersecurity policy, planning and implementation across the federal government. The appointment falls under President Barack Obama's Cyber- security National Action Plan, announced in February, which comprises both short- and long-term actions to bolster the government's cybersecurity standing. Mr. Touhill is a retired brigadier general with the Air Force, currently serving as deputy assistant secretary for cyberse- curity and communications with the Department of Home- land Security. Additionally, the White House named Grant Schneider act- ing deputy CISO. Mr. Schneider currently is director for cy- bersecurity policy on the White House's National Security Council staff. n Epic's Judy Faulkner Named to Forbes' 'Richest People in Tech' List By Akanksha Jayanthi F orbes released its list of "The Richest People in Tech," and Epic founder and CEO Judy Faulkner is one of just five women to make the list. Ms. Faulkner was ranked No. 79 on the list in a six- way tie among tech entrepreneurs whose net worth is $2.7 billion. Among the five women (Zhou Qunfei, who found- ed touchscreen maker Lens Technology; De- nise Coates, founder of online gambling website Bet365; Lam Wai Ying, founder of another smart- phone touchscreen company Biel Crystal Manufac- tory; and Meg Whitman, former president and CEO of eBay and current president and CEO of Hewlett Packard), Ms. Faulkner ranks No. 4. Ms. Faulkner is also the only person named to the list whose origin of wealth is labeled "health IT." Microsoft founder Bill Gates ranked No. 1 on the list, with a net worth of $78 billion, followed by Am- azon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos ($66.2 billion) and Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zucker- berg ($54 billion). n OIG Finds 'Significant' Security Vulnerabilities in CMS' Networks By Akanksha Jayanthi A test of CMS' data centers found four vulnerabilities in security controls in its wireless networks, some of which were deemed "significant." The Office of Inspector General conducted a wireless penetration test of CMS' data centers to determine whether CMS' security controls were effective. Overall, the OIG found CMS has security controls effective in preventing certain types of wireless cyberattacks, but there were four weaknesses in those controls. CMS indicates those vulnerabilities were due to improper configurations and failure to complete necessary upgrades. e OIG found no evidence those vulnerabilities had been exploited, but exploitation could have resulted in unauthorized access to and disclosure of personally identifiable information, as well as exploiting the integrity and availability of the data systems, according to OIG the report. The report does not outline the vulnerabilities in its public report due to the sensitive nature of the information, but the OIG provided more detailed information and recommendations to CMS to address the vulnerabilities. "CMS appreciates the OIG's suggestion of controls and processes that could be improved to further reduce or mitigate risk," according to CMS' comments to the OIG. "CMS concurred with all of the OIG findings and has already addressed several of the findings and is in the process of ad- dressing the remaining findings." n