Role of healthcare cyber security in building and maintaining trust with patients

Did you know nearly half of healthcare organisations globally suffered a data breach in the past two years? In Australia, data breaches are also on the rise.

The OAIC’s report for January to June 2024 reveals a 9% increase in breach notifications. Health service providers led the way, followed by the government, finance, education, and retail sectors.

With the growing complexity of healthcare data, including sensitive patient records and imaging files, robust cybersecurity has become essential to protect against cyber threats and ensure patient trust. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnostics and data analysis only adds to the need for strong data governance and security. As healthcare organisations adopt AI, safeguarding the integrity and confidentiality of data has never been more critical to maintaining both patient privacy and trust.

This article explores the crucial role of healthcare cybersecurity, focusing on Australia’s evolving data protection regulations, data governance, interoperability and data sharing challenges, and the ways Interactive can support healthcare organisations in securing data and building patient trust.

Why is data security important in healthcare?

Healthcare data is uniquely sensitive, often containing highly personal information essential for patient safety and quality care. As the sector generates and manages unprecedented volumes of data—much of it from advanced imaging and digital patient records like MRIs and X-rays—there is a critical need for secure storage and robust management.

As these images grow in size and volume, healthcare organisations face increasing pressure to find cost-effective storage solutions.

“Often, storing them on a local Storage Area Network (SAN) within their own data centres proves more economical,” according to Lizzie Long, Interactive General Manager, DCBC. “But the challenge doesn’t end with storage—it’s about ensuring these files are accessible when needed by healthcare professionals, while also safeguarding against data breaches.

Integration of secure data centres:

At this stage, the role of the data centre becomes vital, Long explains. Leveraging secure, scalable, and reliable data centre infrastructure is essential in not only managing the growing data volumes, but also ensuring that sensitive healthcare information is stored in a secure and compliant manner. Data centres offer a controlled environment where healthcare organisations can centralise their data storage and compute power, providing both security and efficiency. – Lizzie Long

As healthcare data continues to grow in both volume and sensitivity, the need for stringent security measures and governance becomes increasingly critical to protect patient information. “The criticality of healthcare data can’t be overstated—it’s highly personal and needs robust security and governance,” says Long.

As the demand for storage continues to increase, so too do the costs and infrastructure required to manage this sensitive data—highlighting the need for a balanced approach to managing data volume, security, and regulatory compliance.

Regulatory compliance and data governance in Australian healthcare

Australia’s healthcare system is underpinned by a robust framework of privacy regulations and data governance policies designed to ensure ethical and secure handling of sensitive health information.

Central to this framework is the Privacy Act 1988, which governs the privacy and protection of healthcare data, alongside emerging policies addressing the use of AI and data analytics for decision-making. These measures aim to strike a balance between protecting patient privacy and enabling data-driven improvements in healthcare services.

Data management is a critical component of this framework. In fact, the Department of Health and Aged Care is at the forefront of implementing strategic goals for improving data management across the sector. Key initiatives include the creation of the National Aged Care Data Asset, which will integrate data from various sources to improve the management and delivery of aged care services.

Additionally, the Department has outlined a vision for 2025 that focuses on expanding Minimum Data Sets to support interoperability and enhance the flow of data across the healthcare ecosystem. These developments are designed to link data with patient outcomes, paving the way for better-informed policy decisions and more efficient service delivery.

Data Centres as secure hubs for compliance:

To comply with regulatory standards, Long says healthcare organisations often look to data centres to host their systems and store data. Trusted providers ensure these facilities meet the highest industry standards, maintaining compliance with both Australian privacy regulations and international standards like GDPR for data protection. Working with a provider who understands these compliance nuances can make navigating these complexities easier and more secure for healthcare organisations. – Lizzie Long

What is data governance in healthcare?

Data governance in healthcare involves a structured framework for managing data accuracy, security, and ethical use. This framework is particularly critical in an industry where patient information must be protected at all costs.

Effective data governance helps reduce risks and supports data-driven insights, enabling healthcare providers to make informed, timely decisions that ultimately benefit patient care.

“One of the biggest stumbling blocks we see, time and time again, is ethics, privacy, and governance. We need the right frameworks to inspire trust in the system,” Long says.

Interoperability and data sharing challenges in healthcare

Secure data sharing across systems, departments, and facilities is fundamental to high-quality patient care, but it presents a unique set of challenges. Interoperability is key to enabling seamless data flow between healthcare providers, improving patient outcomes, and supporting decision-making. However, ensuring that data moves securely between different entities while adhering to privacy standards remains a complex task.

The Department of Health and Aged Care’s Digital Maturity and Automation Plan, for example, aims to address these challenges by standardising clinical information systems and automating data-sharing processes.

How secure is our healthcare data?

Healthcare data security presents significant challenges, particularly with the growing volumes of data and the increased complexity of modern technologies like AI. While advancements offer tremendous potential for improved healthcare delivery, they also raise concerns in 2 key areas including:

Insider threats

Staff members with access to sensitive information represent a considerable risk to data security. This underscores the critical need for stringent access controls and continuous monitoring.
Policies restricting data access to essential personnel only, and advanced user behaviour analytics, are becoming more common as part of broader cybersecurity strategies. Insider threats remain one of the most difficult challenges to mitigate as it involves the balance between ensuring access for authorised personnel and minimising the risk of misuse or theft.

Infrastructure costs

The rise of AI in healthcare brings immense potential, but it also introduces significant infrastructure challenges. AI-driven diagnostic tools and data analytics can dramatically improve the speed and accuracy of healthcare decisions, but their computational demands come with high costs. For example, GPU-intensive AI applications, which provide rapid insights, require substantial processing power, driving up infrastructure expenses for healthcare organisations.

While AI’s benefits, such as fast, data-driven decision-making, can justify the investment, the initial infrastructure costs remain a barrier, especially for smaller or underfunded healthcare providers. However, many organisations report a return on investment (ROI) within just a few months, often seeing gains within four months. Despite this, the upfront costs can be prohibitive, prompting providers to look for more affordable storage solutions.

To manage the large datasets involved—such as imaging data from MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays—many healthcare providers turn to on-premises storage solutions, like Storage Area Networks (SANs). These solutions offer a more cost-effective approach to securely storing massive files that need to be preserved for long periods.

AI’s integration into healthcare requires not only addressing these cost barriers, but also ensuring strong cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive patient data.

Ethical dimension of AI in healthcare

AI’s transformative power promises faster, more accurate diagnoses, and the reduction of administrative burdens.

However, the increased use of AI also raises significant concerns about privacy, ethics, and the secure handling of sensitive health data. A solid governance framework is essential to safeguard patient privacy while unlocking the potential benefits of AI.

“AI’s ability to analyse data thousands of times faster than humans is crucial in emergencies, but it requires stringent security measures to ensure patient safety,” Long explains.

Striking the right balance between leveraging AI’s capabilities and protecting personal data is essential for healthcare providers.

Building patient trust through cyber security

Building patient trust hinges on a healthcare provider’s ability to safeguard data through robust cyber security practices. Techniques like encryption, access control, and real-time monitoring are essential to protecting sensitive data and ensuring compliance with privacy standards. Through these measures, healthcare organisations can reassure both patients and healthcare workers of the system’s safety.

Winning the trust of both patients and staff is vital. “Winning hearts and minds is critical – it’s not just about healthcare workers, but patients, too. Trust in the system and understanding the benefits are essential,” Long explains.

“It’s a balancing act—how do we help healthcare providers navigate the technology challenges and, equally, win over both patients and workers so they feel confident using it? It’s about building trust on all sides.”

Interactive as a trusted partner for healthcare data security

As healthcare organisations work to balance the need for robust data security with ongoing digital transformation, Interactive emerges as a trusted partner to help navigate these complexities. With extensive experience in healthcare cybersecurity, we offer end-to-end IT services designed specifically to address the unique challenges healthcare providers face.

“It’s not just about being a technology provider; we are a trusted partner committed to helping healthcare providers manage these evolving challenges,” says Long.

At a time when technology is reshaping the healthcare landscape, Interactive provides the expertise and solutions needed to protect both the technical infrastructure and the people behind it. Our role goes beyond providing technology—we are a strategic partner dedicated to securing the future of healthcare.

“The potential of AI in healthcare is truly exciting,” Long adds. “It’s fascinating to consider how AI can elevate healthcare practices and unlock new possibilities.”