House Lawmaker Seeks to Tighten Cybersecurity of Hospital Networks Amid Continued Threats

Rep. Bill Johnson is pushing for the inclusion of more cybersecurity provisions in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, which the House of Representatives plans to reauthorize ahead of its expiration on Sept 30. Johnson said on Thursday during the House Energy & Commerce subcommittee review on the COVID-19 pandemic and how the government can improve preparation for future public health security threats that government should also focus on health care cybersecurity as part of its pandemic response to ensure the safety of patients and their data. The 2018 version of the law contained only one cyber provision but Johnson said there have been many developments concerning health care cyber threats since then, the SC Magazine reported.

Johnson said threat actors took advantage of the pandemic to prey on hospitals, which shifted their resources from patient care to technology infrastructure. Health Sector Coordinating Council Cybersecurity Working Group Chairperson Erik Decker said the sector’s technology weakness has been highlighted during the pandemic but this has also stressed the need for better cybersecurity measures.