American College of Radiology offers cybersecurity resources
The American College of Radiology (ACR) is expanding its efforts to help radiology practices better defend against rising cyber threats, recently releasing new resources aimed at strengthening cybersecurity preparedness.
For more details, Radiology Business spoke with Christoph Wald, MD, MBA, FACR, vice chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors and a radiologist at Mayo Clinic. He emphasized the urgency of the issue as healthcare becomes increasingly digitized and is often viewed as being vulnerable to data breaches. Cyberattacks are also very costly for healthcare systems and practices, with the average cost in the millions for each breach.
“We've actually recently had a special issue in the Journal of the ACR on cybersecurity. It is incredibly important because radiology has become a digital specialty, which means we're also highly dependent on digital assets. Cybersecurity remains a major threat,” Wald said.
Among the key offerings is a joint white paper developed in collaboration with the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM), which replaces the ACR’s prior practice parameter on cybersecurity. Wald described the document as essential reading for imaging groups looking to modernize their defenses.
In addition, the ACR has launched an online Cybersecurity Hub that serves as a central repository of tools, case studies and educational materials designed to help practices better understand and mitigate cyber risks.
“We also have the ACI Cybersecurity Hub, which is an online repository of further resources, case studies, and so forth to get educated about the subject. I really recommend this to practices, [and it is] often overlooked,” Wald said.
The new resources come amid a steady stream of high-profile cyberattacks affecting healthcare organizations nationwide. Wald warned that radiology practices should assume they will eventually face similar threats.
“My advice would really be to pay attention to some of the materials that I just mentioned, specifically what you should do ahead of time. It is probably not a question if, but when, you're going to be involved in one of those incidents,” he said.
Preparation, he stressed, is critical to minimizing disruption. Practices that fare best during cyber incidents are those that have established response plans before an attack occurs, including strategies to maintain patient care while systems are offline.
“You have to have a plan in place. How do you continue to care for your patients while you recover your enterprise? So, it is really important to do this ahead of time, not at the time of the attack,” Wald said.
While cybersecurity risks extend across industries, radiology is particularly vulnerable due to its reliance on digital imaging systems and networked workflows. Disruptions can quickly impact both operations and patient care.
“In radiology, this is particularly impactful since we're so dependent on our digital processes and it is so challenging to have business continuity and really continue to care for patients if our networks go down,” Wald added.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: [email protected]