WHO/Europe will host a webinar on 18 July to discuss the importance of cybersecurity in the healthcare sector. This is the ninth webinar in the “Decoding Data and Digital Health” series, which covers digital health topics of importance to countries in the WHO European Region.
The Need for Cyber Resilience
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telehealth, electronic health records, and other digital solutions. While these tools have improved service delivery and availability, they can also expose the healthcare sector to cybersecurity risks.
The sensitive nature of medical data makes healthcare a prime target for cyber attacks. According to IBM, data breaches in the healthcare sector will be the most costly in 2023, costing approximately $10.93 million, nearly double that of the financial industry. Such breaches can lead to significant financial losses, violations of patient privacy, interruptions to healthcare services, delayed treatment, and even endangering patients’ lives.
The increasing interconnectedness of healthcare systems requires a proactive approach to cybersecurity, which includes implementing robust technical controls, comprehensive incident response plans, and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness among healthcare professionals and the public.
WHO recognizes the need to strengthen cybersecurity in health care. The WHO European Region’s Regional Digital Health Action Plan for 2023-2030 aims to ensure the security and privacy of health data, with a focus on awareness and privacy-enhancing technologies. As part of this work, WHO/Europe is developing a methodology for cybersecurity assessment of digital health information systems.
Webinars
This hour-long event will bring together international experts to raise awareness and share practical information about the role of cybersecurity in the healthcare sector, including tools, strategies and best practices for defending against cyber threats, ensuring regulatory compliance, and leveraging new technologies to protect sensitive healthcare information. The expert panel will also explore the latest healthcare-specific cybersecurity frameworks and guidelines, including NIST, ISO and GDPR. Best practices will cover areas such as data encryption, access control, network security and regular audits.
The webinar will be held in English and Russian and is open to the public, including digital health developers, medical and care workers, policymakers, researchers, and representatives of advocacy organizations. If you would like to participate, please use the registration link.
The “Decoding Data and Digital Health” webinar series is supported by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety) through the activity “Supporting Member States in the WHO European Region to strengthen their health information systems and promote health data governance”.
