The recent cybertack on the Anthem insurance company put the personal records of 80 million individuals in jeopardy. The hackers now have access to social security numbers, birthdays, addresses, emails, and income data. Security professionals say healthcare firms have been less diligent than companies in other industries in terms of protecting such private information.  Professors Xin Luo  and Merrill Warkentin from the University of Mississippi published a study that concluded that “more than 50% of businesses worldwide spend 5% or less of their overall information technology budget on security.”  The recommended percentage is at least 10%.

Poll Question:
Why do you think healthcare companies, in particular, have not done more to protect their clients’ personal information?

They believe they are already doing enough.
10

They do not completely comprehend the seriousness of the cyberattack threat.
21

They don’t want to spend the necessary funds on security.
50

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