The healthcare sector is headed toward a resurgence this year and with this growth, it is projected to generate massive amount of data. With an alarming spike in the sensitive information the sector carries, it is imperative that healthcare companies tighten security measures against possible cyberattacks.
“Healthcare companies in the Philippines will assume greater liabilities when it comes to handling their business information. As they continue to produce an increasing amount of sensitive information, they must proactively seek ways to safeguard these data very tightly and discern the need for enhanced security measures,” said ePLDT Group Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Nerisse Ramos.
According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), the healthcare industry will surpass other sectors such as the media industry and the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) industry.
The study also showed that the amount of data created around the globe is seen to grow to 175 zettabytes by 2025, and a large portion of these data will be generated by the healthcare sector. While the increase may be attributed to the technological advancements in the industry, this also exposes healthcare companies to larger risks and dangers in the datasphere.
“Healthcare companies carry not just any info, but highly sensitive private information of individuals. And the more data healthcare companies produce, the more attractive they become in the eyes of cyber criminals,” added Ramos.
Hospitals and medical institutions remain as main targets of cyber criminals as they hold a staggering number of highly sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII). These include full names, addresses, insurance information, and social security numbers of patients and clients.
Private information as such, if lost, could easily be utilized by cyber criminals for cases of fraud or identity theft and result in substantial harm or damage to individuals.
“A breach in cybersecurity is disastrous for healthcare companies as it compromises highly valued personal information of patients and other pertinent business data. Healthcare organizations in the country must start investing in cyber defense because they bear huge accountability being the safe keepers of these information,” said Angel Redoble, First Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer of ePLDT Group, PLDT Group and SMART.
To protect healthcare organizations from the growing numbers of cybercrime, it is necessary for hospitals and other health institutions to deploy a holistic security system that will ensure the protection of their private business information from end to end.
As one of the leading digital enablers in the country, ePLDT’s class-on-its-own Cybersecurity portfolio is specifically built to address risks and issues in data security of healthcare companies.
ePLDT’s cyber security consulting can help healthcare companies establish appropriate security policies and techniques they can adopt for the protection of their IT assets and other pertinent business data against possible cyber attacks.
Once these security and techniques are in place, healthcare companies can deploy a multi-level protection against cyber threats with ePLDT’s multi-threat solution and advanced threat security offering for all endpoints of their businesses.
ePLDT also offers outsourcing of security operations where healthcare companies and businesses alike can get comprehensive monitoring, alerting, incident analysis and response, all utilizing an ever-evolving threat intelligence database.
“To become successful in this age of digital transformation, healthcare companies must be prepared to handle sensitive information with even more caution. As one of the biggest data drivers globally, healthcare companies are increasingly coveted targets of cyber attacks. Companies from this sector must equip themselves and learn how they can secure their data,” stated Jovy Hernandez, Senior Vice President & Head of PLDT and Smart Enterprise Groups.
ePLDT, the industry-leading enabler of digital business solutions in the Philippines, delivers best-in-class digital business solutions that are up to par with global standards. Apart from Cyber Security, ePLDT’s product and service rosters also include Cloud solutions, Data Center services, and Managed IT Services.
