Humans are your organization’s most important IT security asset

Healthcare data breaches are growing ever more expensive climbing to an average of $4 million this year, according to the Ponemon Institute. 

The two biggest healthcare IT security concerns among hospitals and physician practices are phishing attacks (77%) and viruses/malware (67%), the 2016 HIMSS Cybersecurity Survey found.

Both phishing and viruses require someone in the organization to open an email or click a link for hackers to gain access. That makes the human element the biggest threat to IT security, industry experts say.

If humans are the biggest vulnerability, that also make them a crucial asset in IT security.

A report by Wombat Security Technologies and the Aberdeen Group found there is no such thing as a 100 percent secure IT system if it is used by people. The study found it effectively training was critical.

The study suggested that upgrading employee awareness can reduce security risk by anywhere from 45 to 70 percent.

Keep reading to learn what strategies organizations can employ to ensure that the people who use IT systems help defend the system.