Small and rural healthcare providers lack the resources they need to make essential improvements to their information security programs to defend against cyberattacks. One of the biggest criticisms of the proposed update to the HIPAA Security Rule was the cost of implementation, especially for small, rural, and other underserved healthcare providers, who simply do not have the spare funds to make the required improvements or, in many cases, the staff to implement them.
While the proposed HIPAA Security Rule update attracted considerable criticism, a healthcare cybersecurity bill was unanimously passed by the Senate that calls for Congress to provide grants to underserved hospitals to help them make vital improvements to cybersecurity. The bill has been sent to the House; however, if it is passed and is signed into law by the President, Congress would need to approve the funding, so it could be many months before any grants are made available.
Some help may be on the way for rural hospitals in the meantime. On Monday, the White House Office for the National Cyber Director (ONCD) announced the Project Lifeline 250 initiative. Similar to the Project Watershed 250 project announced in Texas in late August to help state water and wastewater companies implement cybersecurity tools, Project Lifeline 250 is a pilot program to help rural hospitals make essential upgrades to cybersecurity, such as replacing vulnerable legacy systems that are easy targets for cybercriminals.
Project Lifeline 250 is a six-month pilot program that will provide free hardware upgrades and cybersecurity services to rural hospitals through partnerships with IT and cybersecurity companies such as Abnormal AI, Cisco, Cyera, Forescout Technologies, Infoblox Security Solutions, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, ServiceNow, Trelix, and Zscaler. Those companies have agreed to provide hardware and services to rural hospitals in South Carolina, allowing them to upgrade basic cybersecurity defenses free of charge.
They include providing assistance with the identification and upgrading of vulnerable legacy technology, implementing AI-powered detection and response services, and providing backup drives to help the hospitals maintain critical services in the event of a cyberattack. Get The FREE HIPAA Compliance Checklist Immediate Delivery of Checklist Link To Your Email Address Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Business Email * Name * First Last Number * Company Name * Get Free Checklist Please Enter Correct Email Address Your Privacy Respected HIPAA Journal Privacy Policy Similar to the Project Watershed 250 initiative, Project Lifeline 250 will be tested in a single state before a planned nationwide rollout. “Project Lifeline 250 connects the world-leading American industry with rural hospitals and uses the greatest American tools and capabilities to defend hospital networks; deploy physical backup devices after an initial incident to ensure an impacted hospital can still provide critical care; and identify high-risk and legacy devices and replace them,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, at the launch of the initiative at Newberry Health on Monday.
While the announcement has been made, it was light on detail. It is unclear when the initiative will commence or how it will be funded if it is rolled out nationwide. The post Government Initiative Provides Free Cybersecurity Upgrades and Security Services to Rural Hospitals appeared first on The HIPAA Journal .
Originally published at hipaajournal.com
