Dive Brief:

• On October 25, HIMSS will open the Cybersecurity Hub, a public exhibit and education center located at the HIMSS Innovation Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
• The Cybersecurity Hub will feature interactive exhibits that will guide visitors through various security-related scenarios and available solutions.  
• The immersive learning environment, which offers customizable experiences based on technical expertise, is intended for providers, healthcare executives, health IT professionals and the general public. 

Dive Insight:

As healthcare technologies continue to proliferate, they are drawing more attention to cybersecurity risks. The establishment of a Cybersecurity Hub reflects the sense of urgency growing around the need to protect electronic health information.

Healthcare-related cybersecurity breaches are occurring more frequently than in the past. More than 115 million patient records were compromised in 56 separate security breaches in 2015, according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office. In a survey conducted by HIMSS, more than eight in 10 providers reported that they would make information security a higher priority.

Providers are likely being driven to pay more attention to cybersecurity as some organizations are fined for HIPAA violations associated with breaches.

Though providers aren’t the only ones prioritizing cybersecurity. The FDA recently announced it would make cybersecurity a regulatory priority for 2017. With so many patients attached to medical devices, and increasing use of digital health apps, it’s important to ensure they perform as desired and are safe from cyber attacks.