Cybersecurity: addressing the ‘termination gap’ and protecting data

The transient nature of the healthcare workforce during the pandemic has increased the risk of insider threats and data security breaches. Healthcare systems often leave terminated employees’ access credentials active for months after they’ve left, creating vulnerabilities for cyberattacks. Insider threats, both accidental and intentional, have grown, with incidents increasing by 44% in the past two years. To mitigate these threats, healthcare organizations should implement cybersecurity tools, adopt identity governance, and use insider threat detection solutions. Collaboration between IT and HR departments is also crucial in addressing terminated employees’ credentials and improving insider threat mitigation.