Research Paper
Cyber Analytics: Modelling the Factors Behind Healthcare Data Breaches for Smarter Security Solutions
This study employs a comprehensive methodology to analyze healthcare data breaches in the United States, utilizing information extracted from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Portal. The unbalanced nature of the data across different years is addressed through meticulous examination of breach occurrences, encompassing diverse factors such as state, covered entity type, affected individuals, breach type, and entity classification. The results section unveils key insights into the prevalence and impact of healthcare data breaches. Hacking and IT incidents emerge as the predominant breach type, significantly affecting individuals, followed closely by unauthorized access/disclosure and theft. The study further dissects the data by business type, revealing that business associates and healthcare providers bear the brunt of breaches, with health plans and healthcare clearing houses also facing substantial challenges. The study conducted cyber analytics on the factor behind healthcare data breaches for smarter security solutions. This is based on the backdrop of increasing cybercrime in the United States. The study utilized secondary data, which includes indicators such type of breach, location of breach, the number of individuals affected, business type, and the time of cyberattack. The findings revealed that hacking and information technology incidents are the most prevailing cyberattack on healthcare data, with healthcare providers and business associate being the most affected entity. The findings also revealed that network server and email are the major location of healthcare data breached. Furthermore, the data indicated that there is more breach in 2023 than other years, indicating a significant rise in cyberattacks in the healthcare. It was suggested that healthcare entities need to develop and regularly update incident response plans to ensure a swift and effective response in the event of a cybersecurity breach, which should include clear communication strategies to prevent losing data to cybercriminals. The concentration of breaches in specific entities, states, and quarters underscores the diverse and pervasive nature of cybersecurity challenges in the healthcare sector. Continuous efforts to enhance cybersecurity frameworks are deemed critical to safeguard sensitive healthcare data and protect individuals' privacy.
Published by: Tosin Clement, Callistus Obunadike, Darlington C. Ekweli, Oluomachi E. Ejiofor, Oluwadamilola Ogunleye, Simo Sevidzem Yufenyuy, Chukwu I. Nnaji, Chinenye J. Obunadike
Author: Tosin Clement
Paper ID: V10I1-1197
Paper Status: published
Published: February 23, 2024
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