Dec 4, 2024
Cecil Pineda, Senior VP and Chief Information Security Officer at R1 RCM, is focused on integrating robust cybersecurity into the revenue cycle management process. When healthcare organizations are hit with ransomware attacks, they must respond rapidly and accurately communicate with internal and external partners. Long-term strategies include controlling network access, backup/recovery testing and educating personnel in order to limit damage from attempts to invade the network.
Cecil explains, "I think most organizations, not just R1, many organizations have made that decision beforehand whether to pay or not. And that decision is not easy. That’s something that takes into account several factors, starting from patient safety to protecting customer data and being able to go back into operations. So there are a lot of things that they can do, the analysis before making that call. So, beforehand, a lot of organizations have their stance on payments."
"Another key area besides speed is communications. This is something that organizations should focus on. You don’t want patients, relatives of your patients, business partners, shareholders, and other groups to learn it from social media. Going out there quickly with the proper level of messaging and the right amount is key in communicating with your partners."
"I would say that in the first couple of hours, you probably need to make sure that you can communicate quickly at the right level and with the right information without causing any panic. It’s good to be able to reach out quickly to your partners before they get the wrong information from social media."
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