Article Review #1 A Necessity of Cybersecurity in Healthcare

The article’s topic consists of research about technological advancements in healthcare and how it has heightened through the analysis of Routine Activities Theory (RAT) and Cyber-Routine Activities Theory. Regarding the innovative posture of tech in healthcare, the article discusses how healthcare has become a target of attack because of the many facets of digital access that each withholds sensitive data of its customers. With electronic health records increasingly at risk, healthcare is now referred to as a suitable target. While enhancing patient care through digitalization, vast amounts of personally hidden

PRINCIPLES OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE

The intersection of cybersecurity in healthcare relates to the principles of social science through the lens of many principles such as sociology, and psychology. As technology integrates within the healthcare system, many stakeholders like patients, insurers, and policymakers; each of who are within the data systems become at risk. The healthcare system is a complex social structure that requires diligent analysis of the various components that secure customers’ sensitive data. Psychology is another social science that is vital to cyber victimization in healthcare. Psychology describes the perception that stakeholders have when indulging in the risks of technology use. For example, some will be sure to include the suggested precautions to better secure their accounts and some will choose the bare minimum security measures will secure their accounts less than.

HYPOTHESIS

Certain characteristics of healthcare organizations (e.g., size, technological infrastructure, employee training) increase their likelihood of being targeted for cyberattacks. “The healthcare industry is facing significant challenges in managing increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. Between 2016 and 2022, most of the 30% of cyber incidents involving data abuse targeted healthcare organizations(Praveen).” The technological infrastructure that is implemented dictates the security status of organizations. Keeping hardware or software outdated for example will increase the risks of attacks because of how easily the systems can be exploited. It is vital to have the latest updates on software and high maintenance of security measures as technology evolves. Educating employees as well as suggesting cyber hygiene regimens for customers to partake in are essential requirements to have to consistently safeguard the cyber environment for healthcare.

RESEARCH METHODS

The research that is conducted in the article comes from statistics that were monitored and studied within healthcare systems. For example, there is a breakdown of the code-type attacks and the percentages that are descriptive statistics on cyberattack dynamics in healthcare. These types of research methods give real-life studies to illustrate the magnitude of cyberattacks that are happening, alluding to the necessity of better cybersecurity.

TYPES OF DATA/ANALYSIS DONE

The type of data and analysis done stems from the research methods that are shown throughout the article that provide broad overviews of the various cyberattacks across various types of healthcare entities. As listed within one of the data analysis tables; ransomware was the most common method, “accounting for 40.1% of the attacks. Few other attacks that follow ransomware are “account takeover (21.5%) and phishing (18.5%)(Praveen).

CONCEPTS FROM POWERPOINT RELATION

Concepts from the PowerPoint relate to the article in several ways; one particular slide is the “psychological factors increasing the risk of victimization”; this slide has a common topic of discussion regarding victim precipitation. In the PowerPoint, it says the phrase refers to efforts to identify how the victim’s behavior contributes to victimization. This ties into the reading of the article because it talks about how the handling of new technology in the healthcare systems is complex to the stakeholder’s safety being the extra ways of vulnerability points. Victim precipitation focuses the where there are things that individuals can do to make themselves safer.

RELATION TO MARGINALIZED GROUPS

The topic mostly relates to the age groups that pose challenges and concerns that contribute to the lack of cyber hygiene. Healthcare includes a wide range of individuals, however the handlers of accounts are typically a range of older people. Older people are also most ignorant of the use of new technology given the complexity of some things. This is why elderly people tend to often be targeted in scamming attacks because of their lack of awareness. The healthcare system is taken up mostly by the elderly people who are also users that can be perceived as having higher value or in a cyber instance “whale phishing attack” or “spear phishing.”

OVERALL CONTRIBUTION

The article information contributes to society by sharing how attacks are rising due to the continuous advancement of technology in the healthcare system. It uses this information to bring awareness to the need for diligent use in account management and the security posture at which stakeholders are. Since this article uses the lens of RAT it shows those who are in a healthcare system that they are at risk since they are perceived as suitable targets by motivated offenders such as cybercriminals looking for a lot to gain with newly founded ways to exploit.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the article goes over Cyber victimization within the healthcare industry by analyzing the association between Routine activities theory and Cyber Routine Activities theoryPraveen, Y., Kim, M., & Choi, K.-S. (2024). Cyber victimization in the healthcare industry: Analyzing offender motivations and target characteristics through routine activities theory and cyber-routine activities theory. International Journal of Cyber Investigations and Cybercrime, 12(2), 100-120. https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1186&context=ijcic