Health IT professionals cited email as the No. 1 most likely source of a healthcare data breach, according to Mimecast survey.
The Watertown, Mass.-based data security company tapped HIMSS Analytics to conduct the survey of 76 IT professionals working at various healthcare facilities. When asked to rank the most likely source of a data breach, 37 respondents cited email, followed by seven who cited paper or film records, six who cited EMRs and five who cited laptops.
Here are four survey insights into email-based cybersecurity risks.
1. Eighty percent of respondents acknowledged they use email to send protected health information.
2. Seventy-eight percent of respondents indicated their facility had experienced an email-related malware or ransomware attack in the past 12 months.
3. Eighty-three percent of respondents said ransomware is the No. 1 most concerning type of email-related security threat, followed by malware and targeted spear-phishing attacks.
4. Eighty-seven percent of respondents indicated they expect email-related security threats to increase in the future.
To access the Mimecast survey, click here.