WASHINGTON, DC — Northern Light Health's computer servers were found to have been compromised over the weekend, putting a spotlight on cybersecurity concerns.
In response, Senator Angus King of Maine proposed legislation to strengthen security at the federal level.
On Thursday, Dr. King introduced the Health Care Cybersecurity Enhancement Act to the Senate. The bill would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to more consistently evaluate its system and report to Congress on a regular basis. King said he has been working on the bill for a long time with Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and said he hopes it will also help improve safety in local hospital systems.
“What this bill really asks is for DHHS to say, “We want to know what you're doing, and we want to make sure that we're providing regular updates to make sure you're reaching out to hospital systems across the country.'' We're looking for a complete report,''' King explained. Zoom interview Thursday morning. “So far, I'm not happy to be honest.”
The bill was introduced shortly after it was discovered that Northern Light Health's computer systems had been compromised. Leaders insisted that patient records were not involved.
Stephen Michaud is president of the Maine Hospital Association, representing the interests of all hospitals in the state. He said hospitals and hospitals across the country are investing a lot of money into cybersecurity, but the Northern Light incident is likely just the beginning of future hacking problems, and it's difficult to keep pace with criminals. said.
”[Hacking] We're moving faster than many of us can keep up, and we welcome support in the way that Sen. King is proposing,” Michaud said.
That said, regardless of the precautions Congress has mandated DHHS and hospitals to take, the vast majority of break-ins occur because humans click on things they shouldn't.
“The best protection is to be vigilant about passwords and, really, two-factor authentication,” said Lori Sussman, a cybersecurity expert and professor at the University of Southern Maine.
“It all starts at the desktop,” King said.
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