HARTFORD, Conn. — A new bill being considered right now in the Connecticut State Senate aims to help hospitals fend off cyberattacks.
“Just a few months ago, three of our hospitals in the state of Connecticut were under a cyber attack and then some 40-plus days, the three hospitals were without access to internet without access to be able to connect internally with the various parts of the healthcare system," said state Sen. Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor).
The co-chair of the state’s public health committee said the health care industry is becoming a common target for cybercriminals, and it’s time for state leaders to go on the offense.
“Senate Bill 1 is looking at is a way to have us be better prepared,” Anwar said. “The reality is if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. And that's why it is important for us to act collectively, as a state of Connecticut, to do better to be able to plan in advance."
Hackers are lured to the health care sector for its digital systems that contain sensitive data, including billing information and medical history.
“We should all be eyes wide open. We're dealing with sophisticated and nefarious actors that are global in nature,” Paul Kidwell, Connecticut Hospital Association senior vice president, said.
It’s why industry leaders said they should work together to safeguard patient privacy.
“We have to make sure that everyone in the state of Connecticut feels like their personal information is protected, and that we're doing everything we possibly can to make sure it's protected and used in an appropriate way,” Kidwell said.
Senate Bill 1 aims to prevent cyberattacks, like the one at Change Healthcare in February, that caused massive health care and billing disruptions nationwide.
“We rely on data and public health, we rely on understanding where Population Health is and we certainly all support that understanding,” state Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D-Fairfield) said. “But we know that it has to be done in a way that protects our patients and protects our residents.”
One of the goals of Senate Bill 1 is to hold an annual meeting with state leaders and departments to brainstorm protocols and practices to ensure hospitals and other medical facilities are prepared for the next cyber security event.
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Bridgette Bjorlo is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at bbjorlo@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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