Advances in telemedicine have benefited patients, but, as with any emerging technology, they also create exposure to cybersecurity risk. In addition to patients’ data, monitoring and diagnostic devices that can provide treatment from a distance can be compromised due to a variety of causes—from hackers to employee error.

Because of a drastic increase in internal threats, cyber events have become a prevalent threat—with alarming consequences for employers and patients. While malicious actors are perceived as a major threat, 43% of healthcare cyber events are the result of internal threats, according to The Identity Theft Resource Center’s 2017 Annual Data Breach Year-End Review.

The study found that hacking continues to rank highest in the type of attack, at 59.4 % of breaches—an increase of 3.2% over 2016 figures. Overall, the Review indicates a drastic upturn, with a 44.7% increase over the record high figures reported for 2016.