What is Malware & How Does it Differ from a Ransomware Attack?
Malware is a malicious form of software that disrupts, damages, or gains unauthorized access to IT systems, such as a hospital’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, which contains confidential patient data. In contrast, ransomware is a type of malware that holds data or systems hostage until a specified amount of money is paid. Both types of cyberattacks can cause considerable damage to hospitals, including difficulty communicating important information, shutting down entire departments, and resulting in staggering costs to the organization.
What Impact Does Malware Have on Hospitals?
When malware attacks hit hospitals, they often have to revert to paper-based workflows, which can significantly hinder operations and delay patient care. Hospitals must prioritize patient safety above all else, and any system disruption can have severe consequences for patients. The operational impact of malware can be devastating, potentially leading to compromised patient safety and significant costs for the healthcare organization.
dbtech’s EHR Downtime Solutions Significantly Mitigate Malware’s Impact
One of the best ways to mitigate the impact of malware attacks is by implementing EHR downtime solutions such as those offered by dbtech. When a malware or ransomware attack hits, dbtech’s downtime solutions provide a secure snapshot of vital patient information, including Census, MAR, TAR, and critical care access reports. These reports are updated regularly and sent to secure workstations that aren’t used for day-to-day purposes, making them highly secure and able to reference patient data even in the face of malware attacks.
dbtech’s EHR downtime solution works to minimize operational disruption, maintain patient safety, and reduce the costs associated with malware attacks. Our EHR downtime solution offers a wide range of benefits, including:
Minimized disruption: When a healthcare cyber attack happens, the EHR downtime solution is already in place, ensuring that patient care can continue even during an attack.
Patient safety: Hospitals can maintain patient safety and provide needed care by maintaining secure access to patient data, even during a malware attack.
Cost savings: The costs associated with handling a malware attack can be staggering for healthcare organizations when attempting to regain control of operations. EHR downtime solutions can minimize these costs.
Risk mitigation: When an attack occurs, it can increase the risk of patient data being compromised. The dbtech downtime solution ensures that healthcare workflows go uninterrupted during a cyberattack.
Operational continuity: Hospitals need to operate smoothly to provide the best possible patient care, and EHR downtime solutions can help maintain hospital operations during and after an attack.
Contact dbtech Today & Reduce the Impact of Malware & EHR Downtime
The risks malware presents to operational continuity are vast and demand a solution to maintain patient data integrity. For this reason, healthcare organizations need a robust EHR downtime solution to reduce the impact of malware attacks.
EHR downtime solutions can be vital in helping healthcare organizations continue to provide essential care during and after an attack, resulting in cost savings and reduced operational disruption. Contact dbtech today to learn more about how their EHR downtime solutions can help protect your hospital from the impact of malware attacks.