Louisville Medicine Volume 65, Issue 9 | Page 9

GLMS UPDATES UPCOMING GLMS EVENTS Mark your calendar Spear Essay Deadline MAR MAR 5 5 See details on page 20 KMA Annual Meeting AUG AUG 24-26 24-26 Presidents' Celebration MAY MAY 20 20 Introducing 2018-2019 President Wayne Tuckson, MD @greaterlouisillvemedicalsociety @loumedsociety (continued from page 5) tution is not over once the ransom is paid and the system is back in the hands of its owners. There are auditing costs to deter- mine which files were compromised or lost, breach notifications to make in accordance with HIPAA, credit monitoring for compro- mised patients, potential HIPAA fines, and lost revenue which in total can represent several million dollars. Given this kind of damage, the best policy is to minimize the damage before it occurs. To stop or mini- mize ransomware attacks, sound informa- tion technology security policies should be employed. Some of these policies include SEPT SEPT 24 24 @loumedsociety @ Marriott East, Louisville www.kyma.org for details GLMS Foundation Scholarship Golf Tournament @ Hurstborne Golf Club @greaterlouisillvemedicalsociety vimeo.com/loumedsociety the following: 1) Backups should be done regularly which will not stop an attack but will allow for system restoration. 2) Encrypt your sensitive data. Again, this does not stop an attack but does help secure your data. 3) Train employees on avoiding phishing scams. 4) Keep up with updates and patches. 5) Keep all signatures up to date on antivi- rus and network blocking technologies. 6) Monitor your system for unusual activity. 7) Have an optimal response playbook. 8) Consider having specific cyber insurance coverage. we will all be faced with the ever-growing problem of cybercrime. Currently, we are seeing a large rise in ransomware attacks against hospitals but, with the growth of EHRs and patient portals, those attacks likely will start to hit large groups and in- dividual providers as well as hospitals. We all need to understand the threat and make preparations to prevent or at least minimize the damage. Dr. Zaring is an anatomic and clinical patholo- gist with Louisville Pathology Associates and practices at Jewish Hospital. As health care moves into a digital age, FEBRUARY 2018 7