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Sinema Calls on DHS, HHS to Address Growing Threat of Cyber-Attacks Against Hospitals(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz. (9th CD), issued the following news release: Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell calling for aggressive and coordinated action on the growing threat of cyber-attacks against healthcare networks and hospital systems. (Please find the full letter text below.) "Cyber-attacks against healthcare organizations are rapidly increasing, putting the privacy and safety of patients at great risk," said Sinema. "HHS and DHS should coordinate efforts to assist healthcare networks and hospital systems to combat the increasing risk posed by cyber-attacks." October 3, 2014 The Honorable Jeh Johnson Secretary of Homeland Security U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20528 The Honorable Sylvia Mathews Burwell Secretary of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Washington, DC 20201 Dear Secretary Johnson and Secretary Burwell: I write today to request information and action regarding the growing threat of cyber-attacks against healthcare networks and hospital systems. Both the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should coordinate efforts to assist healthcare networks and hospital systems to combat the increasing risk posed by cyber-attacks. The high profile cyber-attack on Community Health Systems by China-based hackers demonstrates the serious threat facing healthcare providers. This attack alone put 4.5 million patients at heightened risk of identity fraud. The Ponemon Institute found that the percentage of healthcare organizations that have reported criminal cyber-attacks increased to 40 percent in 2013 from 20 percent in 2009. According to cybersecurity experts, the combination of comparably lower spending on cybersecurity than other industries and the extremely valuable data possessed by hospitals and healthcare networks makes the healthcare industry a more attractive target for cybercrime. Hospitals already function under extremely tight budgetary constraints. The need to transfer technology infrastructure is made more difficult by a limited number of qualified security professionals within or entering healthcare organizations. As the departments tasked with helping to secure the broader cyber ecosystem and protecting the health of all Americans, I ask the following questions: 1. How do DHS and HHS identify and disseminate cybersecurity best practices to hospitals and healthcare networks? 2. What steps are in place to ensure that the transmission of data between hospitals and HHS are secure? 3. In cases of cyber-threats, what steps do DHS and HHS take to alert hospitals of the threat and defend against the threat? 4. What resources, including grants or loans, are available to hospitals and healthcare networks to improve their cyber infrastructure? As we increasingly rely on digital health innovations to control rising healthcare costs, it is important that DHS and HHS support hospitals' and healthcare networks' efforts to improve their cybersecurity systems. The privacy and safety of individual patients require innovative and aggressive action on this issue. I appreciate your attention to this matter. I look forward to your responses and to working with you on this important issue. Sincerely, Kyrsten Sinema Member of Congress TNS30VitinMar141004-4886137 30VitinMar (c) 2014 Targeted News Service |