This reminder to stay alert to ‘evil-doer’ attacks appeared a day or so ago!
Cyber protection boosted in critical healthcare sector
The Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (ISAC) is part of an effort to upgrade the country’s cyber safeguards at a system level, especially across high-risk industries. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil announced $6.4 million in pilot funding this week.
The ISAC will host a platform for high-speed sharing of threat information. It will connect big businesses, non-profits and government organisations working in health and hospitals, speeding up indicators of cyber compromise, and spread information about successful responses and preventative measures for cybercrime.
Intelligence agency the Australian Signals Directorate hosts a national system which can feed information into the ISAC when appropriate.
Ms O’Neil said government intervention to kick-start the model for high-risk sectors was long overdue.
“Healthcare providers tend to hold highly sensitive data, and they often struggle with building and funding strong cyber protections. That’s why healthcare providers are one of the most common, and most damaging, targets of cyberattack. This is a pattern we see all over the world.”
Health care networks in Australia and overseas are clearly in the sights of hackers, with some in Ireland, North America and Europe already falling victim to debilitating attacks.
“Make no mistake – we expect Australian healthcare providers to step up and protect our citizens wherever possible. But government, too, needs to give them a hand,” Ms O’Neil said.
Labor could look to extend the model to other critical sectors in the future, include energy and water systems.
Michelle Fitzgerald, the chief digital officer at St Vincent’s Health Australia, said the industry had approached the government about boosting protections.
“There’s a lot of focus on the data but in the case of healthcare, we’re also working with patients every single day. So it’s an additional dynamic and brings additional risk.
“We need to co-operate and share knowledge because we’re up working against a very sophisticated global sector.”
In December, St Vincent’s Health revealed it had sustained a major cyberattack, losing data to cybercriminals who gained access through a compromised account.
The breach was considered similar to the one that crippled insurer Medibank almost a year earlier.
St Vincent’s operates hospitals across NSW, Victoria and Queensland, including three public and 10 private hospitals and more than 25 aged care facilities. The company employs nearly 30,000 people nationally.
Applications for the federal government’s grant round are open until late July.
Here is the link:
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/cyber-protection-boosted-in-critical-healthcare-sector-20240627-p5jpbb
Good to see the Government has recognized that the health sector is one that requires special help and is putting its money where its mouth is!
These issues are a wake up call to everyone in the sector!
David.
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