Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems Essay Sample

Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems Essay Sample

Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems Essay Sample

The executives in your facility have serious concerns about the impact of cyber-terrorism on healthcare information systems. As luck would have it, the vice-president of your facility you as you were leaving for a long weekend. The vice-president knew you were in the HCAD 610 class and asked you and your team to write a paper “Cyber-terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems – Past, Present, and Future.” Your requirement is to draw from a broad array of material to assess the relationships between (past and current), and the likely future connection between cyber-terrorism and healthcare information systems. A large component of your next evaluation (your grade!) will be based on the team’s analysis and innovative thinking in regards to the potential relationships between these important fields. Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems Essay Sample

Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems – Past, Present, and Future

Introduction

The use of electronic networks, information systems as well as the entire information technology dramatically changed in the last ten years linking and expanding all social sectors. Such advancements were characterized with significant benefits to individuals and the industrial, financial, academic, business and service sectors. Yet, the safe and reliable operations of the myriad of information systems, support infrastructure and technological solutions demands that far – reaching fears regarding security challenges are addressed effectively by business concerns, governments, individual users and organizations who develop, provide, service, use, manage and own those information networks, resources and systems(Colesniuc, 2013). Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems Essay Sample

The use and diffusion of information networks by health care services and the health sector is growing exponentially.  Healthcare organizations use a wide range of applications to deal with operations and logistics of health care provision and heath programs for communication among stakeholders and providers, as a critical tool for therapeutic and diagnostic interventions, and in the management of resources(Rhea, 2010).  Functions that were once a preserve of trained professionals. In this context, increasing dependency and widespread use of information and communication networks by the health sector raise the question of privacy and security of healthcare data.  Security and privacy has become a critical component to the care providers and health organizations that are increasingly dependent on such tools for their daily activities that include business, administrative and clinical practice.

In the past, clinical data, financial data, healthcare delivery data and patient information did not hold much importance for anyone apart from those directly involved in the delivery and recipients of health services.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM -FREE PAPER NOW

Healthcare organizations were self – centered care providers with data kept in monitored paper files. Although this was not efficient, it tended to be almost secure.  In limited instances, such as personal interest, malpractice litigants, competitive or business interest, where unusual interest did exist, accessibility to healthcare data was very limited because of the difficulties involved in assembling significant information from spread sources(Rhea, 2010). Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems Essay Sample

At present, with telecommunication and information technologies, the processes of data – dependent actions gain in speed, quality and capacity(Colesniuc, 2013). However, such processes depend upon availability and reliability of resources and technical system that provide the advantages. The concern of reliability of information that circulates in the system is of specific significance in the healthcare sector. As the connectivity between data sources and several clinical departments including laboratory, pharmacy, dietary, patient scheduling and radiology grows, safer and efficient healthcare pathways are enabled out but in the process, the system becomes entirely reliant on the accuracy and integrity of the system(Colesniuc, 2013). Each day, a wide range of sensitive information is exchanged between and within health organization networks. Consequently, increased interconnectivity, networks and information systems subjects the data to a wide range of vulnerabilities and threats. These threats come from several sources including teenager hackers, disgruntled employees or terrorism.

In the future, health organizations must evolve their strategies to address these alterations and exchange or provide data assurance that is consistent, continuous and effective. Due to increasing cybercrimes, health organizations must adopt guidelines and policies for their data resources that are applicable to all systems and such should support the need for greater understanding and awareness of security concerns with that aim of developing a culture of cyber security(Rhea, 2010). Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems Essay Sample

References

Colesniuc, D. (2013). “Cyberspace and Critical Information Infrastructures.”InformaticaEconomica, 17(4), 123-132. doi:10.12948/issn14531305/17.4.2013.11

Rhea, S. (2010). “Cyberbattle: Providers work to protect devices, patients.”Modern Healthcare, 40(50), 33-34. Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems Essay Sample