84 Percent of Healthcare Organizations Don’t Have a Cybersecurity Leader


84 Percent of Healthcare Organizations Don’t Have a Cybersecurity Leader

Black Book™ recently announced key findings from a Q4 2017 survey that found that more than eight in ten provider organizations lack a reliable enterprise leader for cybersecurity, while only 11 percent plan to get a cybersecurity officer in 2018. When it comes to payers, 31 percent have an established manager for cybersecurity programs currently, with 44 percent planning to recruit a candidate in the new year.

Black Book revealed that the healthcare industry continues to

underestimate security threats as attackers continue to seek data and monetary gain. “The low security posture of most healthcare organizations may prove a target demographic for which these attacks are successful,” said Doug Brown, Managing Partner of Black Book.

The survey also advised on the hesitation of healthcare provider organizations in adopting the best practices for

cybersecurity. 54 percent of respondents admitted they do not conduct regular risk assessments, while 39 percent don’t carry out regular penetration testing on their firewalls.

“These results may not be all that surprising, however, considering some of the new solution providers are offering

passive monitoring for their networks and the upfront costs

have been dramatically slashed,” said Brown.

However, 92 percent of the C-suite officers surveyed state that cybersecurity and the threat of data breach are still not major talking points with their board of directors.

“Cybersecurity has to be a top-down strategic initiative as it’s far too difficult for IT security teams to achieve their goals without the board leading the charge,” said Brown. 15 percent of all healthcare organizations responding to the survey claim to be taking cybersecurity seriously by having a chief information security officer (CISO) in charge now.

For attackers looking to steal valuable data with minimal effort, the healthcare industry is a prime target.

“The critical role of medical facilities, combined with poor security practices

and lack of resources, make them vulnerable to financially and politically

motivated attacks,” said Brown.

89 percent of respondents reported in 2018, budgeted IT funds are dedicated toward primarily business functions with provable business cases and only a small fraction is being allocated to cybersecurity.

MOD Media Names New Publisher for New York Spaces and Director of Business Development NEW YORK- Media marketing company MOD Media recently welcomed Jennifer Hicks as the company’s new Publisher of New York Spaces magazine and Director of Business Development for MOD Media. She will be responsible for developing sales and marketing initiatives for the recently acquired shelter magazine, which she had spearheaded in 2010 as its publisher while at Wainscot

Media. In addition, Hicks will develop new partnerships for MOD Media’s entire portfolio of luxury lifestyle magazines.

MOD Media Chief Marketing Officer, Shannon Steitz says, “After a year of exponential growth for MOD Media, our company continues to make an impact in the luxury and lifestyle universe and welcoming Jennifer Hicks to the team is the latest coup. Jennifer Hicks is undeniably one of the best publishing professionals in the industry and we are thrilled to have her join MOD Media. She has a strong track record for success and we are confident that she will continue to drive sales and revenue across our brands.”

Hicks joins MOD Media with 30 years of experience in the print publishing and advertising industries. She has held publisher and sales director positions at top

media companies, including Condé Nast, Hearst and Smithsonian. Most recently, she was the Senior Vice President and Head of Luxury for The Economist and the

Associate Publisher for CondéNast Traveler, where she exceeded revenue goals.

Publisher of New York Spaces and Director of Business Development for MOD Media, Jennifer Hicks says, “I am so pleased to join the MOD Media team and

contribute to the company’s consistent growth and success.

I look forward to bringing my expertise and industry connections to the table to develop new programs and partnerships that will connect luxury brands with our

discerning audiences.”

New York Spaces Editorial Director Jason Kontos shares, “It is a pleasure to be reunited with Jennifer Hicks, as we were colleagues at Hearst and at New York Spaces eight years ago. She has strong, long-standing relationships in the luxury lifestyle world and is well respected in the publishing industry.”

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