By Errol Weiss March 13, 2025
As healthcare policy takes center stage, recently enacted cybersecurity legislation is poised to redefine patient privacy and data security. At the forefront of these changes are the Healthcare Cybersecurity Act of 2024 and the Health Infrastructure Security and Accountability Act of 2024, passed in 2024 and took effect in January 2025. These laws aim to address the evolving threats to sensitive health information and ensure stronger patient protection.
Cybercriminals target healthcare organizations daily, seeking to exploit sensitive data, including medical histories, insurance details, and even genomic information. The new legislation tackles these challenges from multiple angles: one act focuses on strengthening infrastructure and federal coordination to prevent breaches. At the same time, the other emphasizes privacy and accountability by holding organizations to higher standards. These policies provide a roadmap for protecting patient data in an increasingly digital and interconnected healthcare landscape.
Strengthening Infrastructure
The Healthcare Cybersecurity Act of 2024 addresses the alarming rise in cyberattacks targeting healthcare facilities. Between 2018 and 2022, cyber breaches in healthcare nearly doubled, compromising sensitive patient information and threatening the continuity of care. This legislation emphasizes a coordinated federal approach to enhance cybersecurity in the healthcare sector.
The act tackles the growing threat of cyberattacks by emphasizing a coordinated federal response. Central to the legislation is a partnership between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This collaboration is designed to provide the healthcare sector with the tools, strategies, and expertise to combat evolving cyber threats effectively.
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This article covers these topics as well:
- Focusing on Privacy and Accountability
- Building a Unified Framework
