Cyber analytics careers in healthcare

Health data has been collected for years for a variety of purposes. Medicare has a long history of utilizing the data received for quality improvement efforts and public reporting of provider data. Health insurance providers and pharmaceutical companies collect data for billing, identifying health trends, and outreach. Across the country there are multiple efforts in place to forward the use of electronic medical records (EMRs) and to promote interoperability of systems.

All of these efforts involve the transmission of massive volumes of protected health information that could easily be exploited if not properly secured.  According to an article in Health IT Security by Jessica Davis, Senior Editor for Healthcare IT News, ransomware attacks on healthcare providers increased 350% in the last quarter of 2019.

Healthcare cyber analytics experts are in high demand as the front-line solution to protecting health data. In both the federal government and private industry, career options for cyber analytics in healthcare are continuing to grow.

Government Agencies

Federal agencies, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), are in need of cyber analytics experts to protect and manage the high volume of records that are processed daily. With 75 million Americans on Medicaid and 44 million on Medicare, data breaches at any level could be catastrophic. CMS is leading interoperability efforts on both the Medicare and Medicaid front, where cybersecurity experts play a role in determining best practices for securing data exchanges.

Health Insurance Companies

Over 156 million Americans have private health insurance through their employers with another 84 million obtaining health insurance through other sources, such as a spouse or the Marketplace. Health insurance companies employ cyber analytics experts to identify potential risks, manage identified risks, and ensure security protocols remain in place. Many insurance companies are also exploring new technology and look to cyber analysts to integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop creative solutions to security problems.

Vendors

Vendors act as the “middle man” between providers and health insurance companies, Medicare/Medicaid, and health systems. Some vendors provide EMRs while others collect patient data that is used for quality improvement efforts. Vendors are a frequent target of ransomware attacks, leaving patient information vulnerable and impacting the ability of the providers who use EMRs to do business. Utilizing cloud-based technology, cyber analysts are needed to ensure data stays secure within the vendor’s software and as it travels through the cloud.

Providers/Health Systems

Larger hospitals and health systems employ their own cyber analysts as many maintain their own servers for storing data onsite. Cyber analysts are also needed to ensure the security of email – a vulnerable system which is often ignored. “Eighty-six percent of healthcare covered entities don’t use scanning and filtering tools on their email platforms,” says Davis. Many providers and health systems understand the importance of security which is why skilled cyber analysts are needed to protect patient information.

Want to learn about cyber analytics? Capitol Tech offers bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in  data science. Many courses are available both on campus and online.To learn more about Capitol’s degree programs, contact admissions@captechu.edu.