The Indiana Hospital Association said as cyberattacks on Indiana hospitals and health systems continue to increase, they are implementing new tactics such as 'hack lab' tests to assess vulnerabilities with medical devices before using them in patient care, Fox59 reported March 29.
According to the Indiana Hospital Association, 26 health systems have experienced a cyberattack in recent years including Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Health; Madison, Ind.-based Norton King's Daughter Health; and Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health.
The frequency of these attacks have prompted the state's hospitals and health systems to invest in better cybersecurity programs and initiatives including performing annual assessments on IT systems, aligning IT systems with government cybersecurity standards and performing 'hack lab' tests on medical devices.
But, the Indiana Hospital Association said these measures are costly.
"It is estimated that cyber risk insurance is a $6.5 billion dollar industry as more and more hospitals are reviewing their policies and increasing coverage," the association told Fox59.
Greenfield, Ind.-based Hancock Regional Health's CEO Steve Long also said that due to the frequency of attacks, he has been trying to work with other hospitals to warn them and prepare them for hackers after his own hospital fell victim to a cyberattack in 2018.