Security breaches have become common place. Daily, we hear cybersecurity breach reports in the media. However, when healthcare institutions are impacted, consumers see this as “more detrimental” than other industry breaches.
A study IBM Security and conducted by Ponemon Institute found that the average cost of a data breach globally is $3.86 million, a 6.4 percent increase from the 2017 report.
Violence perpetrated against employees by patients, their families, and unauthorized visitors – including estranged members of employees’ own families – tops the list of concerns and threats for healthcare security directors.
The Princeton Identity IOM Access solution allows staff and residents with normal mental acuity to unlock exterior doors to exit the building by gazing into wall-mounted iris readers positioned near each exit, while restricting residents with dementia from opening the doors and leaving the building unsupervised.
Locations once considered safe havens such as schools, places of worship and healthcare institutions are no longer immune to acts of violence and, in worst case scenarios, active shooter incidents. In a webinar, Connie Packard, Executive Director of Support Services, Deputy Chief Public Safety for Boston Medical Center discussed ways that the external and internal environment can be used to mitigate risk, tools that are available to help, and standards and guidelines aimed at preventing violence.
Nine in 10 emergency physicians responding to a new poll say that in the past month, they have experienced shortages or absences of critical medicines in their emergency departments.
How do enterprise security professionals ensure that if the worst should happen, they can sustain their operations indefinitely to ensure the safety of those they are called to protect?
Hospitals can be dangerous places. From 2012 to 2014, healthcare institutions reported a 40 percent increase in violent crime, with more than 10,000 incidents mostly directed at employees.
“Violence stemming from patients and patient visitors present considerable risk and concern to the healthcare industry. Healthcare Facilities (HCFs) should establish specific violence prevention and aggression management policies, processes and practices to deter, identify and manage violent events.”
According to the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, the healthcare sector fell prey to more cyber incidents through data breaches than any other critical infrastructure area in 2015.