It goes without saying that the pandemic has created many new challenges for the healthcare industry, but it’s also exacerbated many other ongoing issues, like data backup and protection. That’s where data backup and recovery comes into play.
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Healthcare organisations need the right backup and recovery solution in place in order to keep data protected and to ensure that no data loss occurs. This article will show healthcare organisations what they need to do to achieve that.A disaster recovery plan is now a must-have
Disasters can strike at any time and in a variety of ways. Think natural disasters, human errors, power outages, the global pandemic of last year, and — last but not least — cyberattacks. The best way to deal with such scenarios is to have a backup and disaster recovery plan set in place before they even occur. Healthcare organisations in particular must ensure their data is backed up safely and securely, and that it can be recovered and accessed quickly so that operations can continue. After all, in the health sector, time is critical, due to accessing patients’ info and treating them quickly, etc. The healthcare industry has typically been vulnerable to cyberattacks, but since the start of the pandemic, this problem has grown at an alarming rate. Common cyberattacks include shutting down the IT network, removing access to electronic health records, and, more recently, stealing Covid-19 test results. They have devastating consequences, from financial losses, organisational disarray, loss of reputation, and — most importantly — greater health risks for patients. According to VMware Carbon Black, 239.4 million attempted cyberattacks targeted healthcare customers in 2020. 58% of these attempted attacks were executed using the ransomware family Cerber, followed by other tools like Sodinokibi and VBCrypt. With this in mind, data backup and recovery in healthcare is no longer a “nice to have” but an urgent necessity. Healthcare organisations need to strengthen their cybersecurity and ensure their electronic health records and other data can be recovered, because cybercriminals are not going to stop targeting them any time soon.A disaster recovery plan makes disaster recovery smoother
In the event of data loss, healthcare facilities need to be able to restore lost or stolen data and resume their operations as quickly as possible. Fortunately, this can be done with the right cloud backup solution. When you have a disaster recovery plan set in place ahead of time, your organisation will bounce back from any disaster with prompt data recovery. Investing in the right cloud disaster recovery software is a great first step. This will ensure the productivity of employees is maintained and patients receive the diagnostics and treatment they need.You should backup your data with the Data Protection Act in mind
When it comes to data backup and recovery in healthcare, compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 is vital — here’s why. The DPA governs how personal data is used by businesses and organisations to ensure it is:- Used fairly, lawfully, and transparently
- Accurate and up-to-date
- Used only for explicitly stated purposes
- Handled in a secure manner
- Not kept for longer than necessary