The Health Information Trust Alliance is launching a new study that it hopes will fill a major void in the healthcare IT sector: the lack of empirical data on targeted cyberthreats.
Frisco, Texas-based HITrust announced Monday that it will launch a comprehensive study of targeted cyberthreats affecting the industry. Unlike the many survey-based studies, HITrust intends to analyze the specific methods, magnitude and pervasiveness of cyberthreats, according to a news release.
Sophisticated cyberattacks against insurers Premera Blue Cross and Anthem have shown that the industry may not be prepared to protect patients' valuable data. Attacks can have a significant effect on a company's bottom line, especially if they don't have cybersecurity insurance to cover recovery costs and legal fees for lawsuits.
HITrust is a consortium of health plans, providers, pharmacy benefit managers, IT vendors and data-miners that seeks to improve health data security. About 210 health plans and providers are expected to participate in the study, called HITrust Cyber Discovery. The project will explore advanced persistent threats; analyze malware and other threats; and study attacks against specific data, organizations and industry segments.
Study participants will be provided with complimentary software, hardware and advice to help detect, analyze and monitor network threats during the study, which is expected to last about 90 days. Trend Micro, an Irving, Texas-based provider of cybersecurity software, will provide the support and tools.
Participating organizations will agree to regularly provide HITrust with anonymized data during the study, the group said. An initial report is expected to be published about four months after the study begins.
HITrust hopes that the study will help industry leaders better understand the complexity of cyberattacks, commonalities between target organizations and data, and the degree of threats that exist within organizations. The lack of empirical data about cyberattacks has left experts to speculate about their effect, HITrust CEO Daniel Nutkis said.
“The level of speculation around attacks, targets and persistent threats has reached an all-time high,” Nutkis said in a statement. “To combat this growing concern, we need more facts to better dissect threats and develop a corresponding strategy to address them.”
Organizations interested in participating in the study can register on HITrust's website.
