GRAND FORKS — A new cybersecurity initiative by the North Dakota Hospital Association is the first of its kind and comes in response to an increase in cyberattacks on hospitals and healthcare organizations.
NDHA Trust Administrator Aaron Brennan said: “We are very pleased with all the results.” “Based on our research, this effort doesn't appear to have been put together specifically for healthcare organizations across the country, so we'd like to give ourselves a little pat on the back.”
The initiative, called Cyber Cover, is a partnership between NDHA, cybersecurity firm Critical Insight, and insurance firm Marsh McLennan Agency. We aim to provide affordable cybersecurity services to hospitals and other healthcare organizations in North Dakota.
The program offers discounts on cyber insurance if NDHA members choose to go through the Marsh McLennan Agency, and additional discounts if they choose Critical Insight for their cybersecurity services, Brennan said. . The initiative is open to other health care providers in the state, including long-term care facilities, small hospitals and clinics, but NDHA members are given priority.
The decision behind the creation of Cyber Cover stems from the increasing number of cyberattacks and data breaches against hospitals and other healthcare organizations. According to a press release from the NDHA, a Department of Health and Human Services report shows a 93% increase in serious health care violations from 2018 to 2022. The average breach costs affected organizations $10.93 million, the release states.
In 2023, a data breach at Pembina County Memorial Hospital may have accessed information such as Social Security numbers, medical information, addresses, phone numbers, and health insurance information. Brennan said it's only a matter of time before these large-scale hackers start targeting more organizations in North Dakota.
Pembina County Memorial Hospital declined to comment for this story.
Hospital cybersecurity is unique and made more complex by the number of entry points an attack could pass through, Brennan said. Hospitals' internal networks, Wi-Fi, and medical equipment are all potential starting points for hackers. Brennan recalled a story in which a worker working on his HVAC system at the hospital connected a hacked laptop to the hospital's network. The hacker was able to access the hospital through the laptop.
NDHA chose to create CyberCover to prevent incidents like this and data breaches from occurring at Pembina County Memorial Hospital.
“We wanted to be proactive,” he said.
NDHA members and non-members interested in participating in this initiative should contact NDHA for more information.
Otto is a regional reporter for the Grand Forks Herald.
