A 2021 survey by Ironscales found that 90% of IT professionals see email phishing as their biggest concern, because of its potential for damage and the resources necessary to combat these threats. Healthcare organizations can take multiple steps to avoid these breaches including the use of secure email platforms like Paubox and implementing access controls.
The common causes of breaches via HIPAA compliant email
Emails sent to incorrect recipients: Research from Tessian shows that nearly a third (29%) of businesses have lost a client or customer as a result of email recipient errors. In healthcare, the consequences go beyond reputational damage. Organizations expose themselves to an entire breach protocol that leads to a potential OCR investigation and in some cases a fine.
Lack of encryption and security measures: Paubox’s Q3 executive summary revealed that a 24% increase in hacking and IT-related incidents, which resulted in 62 breaches. When emails aren't properly encrypted or secured, unauthorized individuals can easily access sensitive information.
Phishing attacks and social engineering: Phishing attacks and social engineering are prevalent because attackers can still succeed even with advanced security measures. For example, in a study, an organization received over 858,200 emails within a month, with 2% identified as potential threats. Also, out of 143 million internet transactions, 3% were suspected threats.
Diverse device usage and remote work: Diverse device usage and remote work contribute to HIPAA compliant email breaches due to less controlled environments and varying security standards. Since the pandemic began, 20% of respondents reported security breaches tied to remote workers.
See also: Why HIPAA breaches related to email are so common
Strategies to avoid these errors
Email content classification
Email content classification organizes emails by analyzing their text and attachments to determine if they contain sensitive information. It uses algorithms that read through the email's contents, identifying keywords, phrases, or patterns related to protected health information (PHI). By flagging emails that contain PHI, this system helps make sure that such emails are subjected to an additional layer of security that goes beyond encryption.
Behavior-based email filtering
Behavior-based email filtering learns the normal patterns of how people send and receive emails within an organization. It looks at things like who typically emails whom, the usual subjects, and the time emails are sent. When an email doesn't fit these patterns—like a strange request from a familiar contact—it flags it as suspicious.
Email metadata analysis
Email metadata analysis looks at the details of an email, like who sent it, when it was sent, and where it came from, rather than its content. This process helps identify emails that may not look suspicious based on content alone but have irregularities in their metadata. Catching these anomalies can help filter out potentially harmful emails that could lead to unauthorized access.
Email anomaly detection
Email anomaly detection monitors for unusual email activity that deviates from normal patterns, such as an unexpected surge in outgoing emails. This system helps identify potential security threats, such as compromised accounts attempting to spread malware or leak information.
Email data loss prevention (DLP)
Email DLP is a security strategy that prevents sensitive information from being sent out of an organization via email. It scans emails for specific data patterns or keywords related to sensitive information, such as patient health records. DLP can block the email or alert administrators if such information is detected.
Email header authentication
Email header authentication verifies the sender's identity by examining an email's technical headers using protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This process checks if the email genuinely comes from the claimed source by matching the sender's information against known, authorized sender records. By confirming the authenticity of emails, it helps in preventing phishing attacks and other fraudulent activities.
Email incident response plan
An email incident response plan outlines steps to take when an email security breach occurs. It activates a prepared team to assess the situation, contain the breach, eliminate the threat, and recover any compromised systems. This plan minimizes damage by swiftly identifying, responding to, and recovering from incidents that may expose sensitive health information.
FAQs
How do phishing attacks work?
Phishing attacks trick individuals into providing sensitive information through deceptive emails that appear legitimate.
What are common ways to avoid email breaches?
Common ways to avoid email breaches include using strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and regular security training.
Kirsten Peremore
