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[By Darrell K. Pruitt DDS]

Expect malware entrepreneurs to charge what the market will bear, again and again.

“OCR Releases Guidance on Ransomware: ‘Your Money or Your PHI’”. By Dianne J. Bourque for The National Law Review,” July 12, 2016

http://www.natlawreview.com/article/ocr-releases-guidance-ransomware-your-money-or-your-phi

Bourque: “A key component of the guidance provides a ransomware attack that encrypts a Covered Entity’s ePHI is presumed to be a breach. As ransomware can infect a Covered Entity’s entire system, this presumption may lead to enormous breach notification obligations.”

Bourque adds: “OCR indicates that when ePHI is encrypted as a result of a ransomware attack, a breach has occurred because the ePHI encrypted by the ransomware was acquired (i.e., unauthorized individuals took possession of the information) and is thus a ‘disclosure’ not permitted under the HIPAA Privacy Rule has occurred.”

When patients are notified of data breaches – for any reason – many will quietly change providers. According to The Ponemon Institute, loss of future income is the most costly result of lawfully reporting data breaches…. and ransomware attacks are at “epidemic” levels. I have heard dentists are paying the ransom quickly.

The disincentives to do the right thing were overwhelming providers even before the OCR’s recent ruling. Such is the ugly nature of extortion.

Assessment

Cha-ching! 

Conclusion

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Filed under: iMBA, Inc., Information Technology, Pruitt's Platform | Tagged: D. Kellus Pruitt DDS, Dianne J. Bourque, HIPAA, malware entrepreneurs, OCR, PHI, RansomWare |