Digital Healthcare in Asia A Qualitative Investigation of Cybersecurity Risks Maturity and Vulnerabilities

Abstract

The modernization of the healthcare sector in India and other Asian countries is progressing at an unprecedented rate. Information technology plays a significant role in this effort. However, while making significant strides in healthcare, information security has still not caught up with the protection standards achieved in technologically advanced countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom. This research is a sincere effort to identify gaps and risks in the area of Cybersecurity and propose a few focused solutions in three major areas: risks, vulnerabilities, and IoMT. The culmination of this research is developing a security maturity model for healthcare in India based on a qualitative research approach. newlineCyberattacks on healthcare institutions are on an upsurge all over the world. Recently, Asian newlinehospitals have become targets of numerous cyberattacks. While Western countries like the United States have implemented security-related laws, policies, standards, and other protective measures to deal with healthcare cyberattacks, Asian countries are lagging. Awareness about electronic health records (EHR) and their importance is increasing in Asia. Many hospitals and healthcare systems successfully implement solutions to protect healthcare data, including sensitive patient data. However, protecting healthcare data involves a sophisticated technology and compliance-driven approach due to the high value associated with the data. A part of this research investigates the recent cyberattacks on Asian healthcare institutions. Based on the investigation, five types of cyberattacks are found to dominate Asian healthcare institutions. A detailed analysis of these attacks, their vulnerabilities, and associated risks are performed as a part of this study. Cyberattacks on Asian healthcare institutions are also analyzed through the lens of the National Institute of standards and technology (NIST) risk framework. A few unique recommendations are included in this research study to be used as risk mitigati