Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about funding, lack of clinician involvement and "immaturity" of HHS' cybersecurity unit, HC3, Politico reported June 1.
The department's Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center, called HC3, was created to curb cyberattacks for the healthcare industry. Mari Savickis, vice president for public policy at the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, said the division is good at providing information about cyberattacks, but says an increased budget is needed.
According to Ms. Savickis, HC3 gets funding from the budget account for the department's chief information officer, meaning that it does not have its own dedicated budget.
Mr. Savickis believes that Congress should increase its budget and increase its profile inside HHS.
John Riggi, the American Hospital Association's national adviser for cybersecurity and risk, also raised concern about HC3 stating that it needs to incorporate more clinicians and healthcare professionals in order to better assess the dangers that cyber threats pose to the sector.
According to Mr. Riggi, HC3 "is still young and maturing."
HC3 did not respond to Politico for comment.