Security and Disaster Recovery will save your Business one day! Read this Real Story!

We don’t live in a perfect world.?

Cyberattacks are growing every year in sophistication and the cost of data breaches is continuously rising with these! Covering all the major and the minor industries, the risk of Cyberattacks in Healthcare are an ongoing crisis.

The Healthcare sector has reported 280 Cyber attack incidents in 2024 out of which 24% accounted for U.S alone. Through these hundreds of incidents, there have been 3 major cyberattacks in the healthcare industry which have disrupted their data security to a large extent.?

• In February 2024, Change Healthcare was hit by a ransomware attack launched by the BlackCat group. To prevent data loss, the company paid a $22 million ransom. However, recent reports suggest that the total cost of the attack, including lost business and other expenses, could exceed $1.5 billion.
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan reported a data breach on April 12, 2024, affecting 13.4 million people. The breach was caused by tracking code on the company's website and mobile app that shared PHI with unauthorized third parties, violating HIPAA privacy laws.
• Ascension's healthcare system experienced widespread disruptions on May 8, 2024, due to a cyberattack. The attack compromised access to electronic health records, pharmacy services, and patient portals at multiple hospitals nationwide.

The IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 revealed that the average cost of a data breach worldwide rose to $4.88 million in 2024, which is 10% higher than the cost in 2023.

A Real-life Cyber Attack scenario!

A Cyberattack almost wiped out the Hospital Data but a pre-planned disaster recovery plan saved the day! A medical centre faced a major setback when a cyberattack rendered its platform inoperable. The attack compromised patient records and disrupted critical operations. Despite strong security measures, the attackers were able to infiltrate the system. To mitigate the damage, Himcos implemented a data recovery plan to restore access and protect sensitive information.

A Wake Up Call - The day when the platform became inaccessible

One morning, our client's platform was offline due to a severe cyberattack. This breach compromised all system functionalities, making the platform unusable. As a critical medical platform, immediate action was needed to restore operations and secure patient data.

This was the third attempt to hack the platform. The first two were successfully thwarted by Himcos developers. But this time the attackers were successful. They exploited an open vulnerability, leading to a critical breach.

Preparedness Pays Off!

At Himcos, we developed a comprehensive disaster recovery plan to ensure that we could quickly and effectively restore our clients' platforms in the event of a cyberattack. This plan included the following key components:

1. Daily Data Backups

We implemented a rigorous backup schedule, ensuring that daily database dumps were stored in secure cold archives. These backups served as a safety net, protecting against data loss and providing a reliable source for recovery. In the event of a cyberattack, we were able to quickly revert to the last stable version of the database, minimizing the impact of the attack.

2. Weekly Snapshots

To capture the platform's state at specific points in time, we created weekly snapshots of the server and its databases. These snapshots included all configurations and data, allowing us to restore the platform to a previous working state in case of a failure or attack.

3. Version Control for Code

We utilized a stable version control system to track changes made to the platform's code. This helped us identify the root cause of issues and revert to stable versions when necessary. During the cyberattack recovery process, version control enabled us to assess the impact of the attack and ensure that the platform's structure remained intact.

By implementing these proactive measures, Himcos was able to effectively respond to the cyberattack and restore our client's platform. This success story highlights the importance of preparedness in the face of cyber threats. With a robust disaster recovery plan in place, businesses can minimize the impact of attacks and ensure continuity of operations.

The steps Himcos implemented to restore everything lost -

a) Understanding the Attack

Our team carefully analysed the cyberattack to determine its exact nature and extent. This included examining log data, entry records, and other relevant information to identify compromised systems and vulnerabilities.

b) Fixing Quickly what we could on the spot

We quickly implemented temporary solutions for critical functionalities that were affected by the attack. This involved identifying and addressing urgent issues to minimize disruption and maintain essential services.

c) Damage Evaluation

After making initial repairs, we conducted a thorough evaluation to identify any additional damage or vulnerabilities. This included checking for data errors, service disruptions, and other potential consequences of the attack.

d) Restoring the system

We utilized our comprehensive backup system to restore the platform to its pre-attack state. This involved carefully reconstructing the system's components and ensuring that key functionalities were operational while other parts of the system were being restored.

e) Protecting Against Future Attacks

To prevent similar incidents in the future, we implemented a range of security measures to strengthen the system's defences. This included -?

1. Password strength - Enforced strong password policies to prevent unauthorized access.
2. Strict reset rituals - Implemented rigorous procedures to verify user identity and prevent password resets by unauthorized individuals.
3. Server Hardening - Configured servers to minimize vulnerabilities and strengthen security through patch management, configuration changes, access controls, and monitoring.

Himcos : Your trusted partner for Healthcare IT Consulting?

As a leading provider of healthcare IT consulting services, Himcos is committed to helping healthcare organizations navigate the complex landscape of technology and cybersecurity. We help medical centres with agile development & DevOps practices to deliver personalized and omni-channel solutions. With a strong foundation in healthcare, data, and technology, we deliver end-to-end digital transformation solutions.