Introduction
With its focus on caring for people, the Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) sector touches each of our lives in powerful ways. Today, much of the work the HPH sector carries out is based in the digital world, leveraging technology to store patient and medical information, carrying out medical procedures, communicating with patients, and more. Any disruptions to the HPH digital ecosystem can impact patient safety, create openings for identity theft, and expose intellectual property among other damaging effects.
To help improve cybersecurity within the HPH sector, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity Working Group are working together to deliver tools, resources, training, and information that can help organizations within this sector. Together, CISA brings technical expertise as the nation’s cyber defense agency, HHS offers extensive expertise in healthcare and public health, and the HSCC Cybersecurity Working Group offers the practical expertise of industry experts working cybersecurity issues in HPH every day.
How to Use this Toolkit
This toolkit consolidates key resources for HPH organizations at every level. Starting with the fundamental cyber hygiene steps that every organization and individual should take, the toolkit can help organizations within the HPH sector build their cybersecurity foundation and progress to implement more advanced, complex tools to strengthen their defenses and stay ahead of current threats.Â
Because cybersecurity is one of many areas where the Healthcare and Public Health sector is facing persistent challenges, CISA and HHS are providing this toolkit filled with remedies to give sector stakeholders a greater ability to proactively assess vulnerabilities and implement solutions.