After a dramatic increase in cyberattacks, New York state has announced plans to expand cybersecurity regulations.
In a Jan. 9 press release from Gov. Kathy Hochul's office, the state cited a 53% increase in cyberattacks from 2016-2022 in the decision to strengthen cybersecurity. Cyberattacks on hospitals concern the state because of their immediate potential to harm patients by slowing critical medical services.
In November, the state announced that it would tighten regulation of hospital cybersecurity. This announcement detailed plans to develop incident response plans, adopt secure software design practices and install security technologies, along with other security measures. These regulations are funded by $500 million in fiscal year 2024 funding from the state.
To help hospitals implement these new rules, the state will create a New York Hospital Cybersecurity Roundtable, which will operate as a sort of think tank for hospitals across the state. Having this roundtable will ensure that hospitals receive the support they need to implement new security measures.