Margie Zuk of Mitre emphasizes the importance of hospitals and other organizations preparing for cyberattacks and considering the regional impact if neighboring service providers are disrupted. She highlights the potential patient safety impact when healthcare services at a neighboring institution are affected by ransomware, leading to unexpected patient influx at other facilities. Zuk stresses the need for establishing regional partnerships to ensure a coordinated response to cyber incidents.
Zuk discusses the need for hospitals to prepare for ransomware and other cyberattacks, considering the impact on both upstream and downstream partners in the healthcare ecosystem. She emphasizes the importance of rehearsing incident response plans for regional resiliency and the challenges of transitioning from manual processes back to automated digital processes following a disruptive cyber incident.
Zuk, with over 35 years of cybersecurity experience, leads cyber engagement for healthcare at Mitre. She oversees the organization’s support to the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health on medical device cybersecurity preparedness and response.
She underscores the importance of regional partnerships in dealing with cyberattacks, emphasizing the need for an understanding of the entire healthcare ecosystem. Zuk stresses the critical role of informing regional partners about cyber incidents so they can be prepared for potential impacts on their operations.
Overall, Zuk highlights the necessity for organizations to not only focus on their own resiliency in the face of cyber threats but also consider the broader regional impact and establish partnerships to ensure a coordinated response to cyber incidents in the healthcare sector.