House bill proposes a new strategy to protect patient data

Legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to protect Americans’ healthcare data from cyberattacks. The bill would require collaboration between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) to improve cybersecurity in the healthcare sector. The legislation comes as breaches of healthcare facilities rose 55% in 2020, affecting nearly 1 million patients monthly. The bill also addresses cybersecurity workforce shortages and calls for cybersecurity training for healthcare asset owners. Funding for the proposed CISA training may be included in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.