The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry. But as with any new technology, it also brings a slew of security risks healthcare professionals need to address.

Devices that contain a treasure trove of patient data are attractive targets for cybercriminals.

Electronic protected health information (ePHI) is extremely private and its exposure could lead to negative consequences such as social stigma and job discrimination. HIPAA protects this information and grants patients the right to view their own health information so that they can enjoy more control over their care.

Technological advancements have a tremendous effect on the healthcare industry. Something called machine learning is the first step toward artificial intelligence (AI) and it’s already streamlining service delivery for those in the medical profession.

Healthcare is the only industry where insider threats pose the greatest threat to sensitive data, with 58 percent of security incidents coming from people working within the organization itself. Here’s a look at five ways to prevent such breaches.

#1 Educate - The workforce (meaning all healthcare employees) must be educated on allowable uses and disclosures of protected health information (PHI) and the risk associated with certain behaviors, patient privacy, and data security.

Healthcare providers that use Social Media can interact with their patients, advertise new services, and quickly communicate urgent announcements or messages. There's immense potential for it to improve care, but also to expose patient-specific information.

News regarding hospital data breaches that disclose thousands of medical records emerge at a distressing rate, yet these attacks shouldn’t really come as a surprise. All this valuable data will cost a hefty price on the black market, which makes them great incentives for cybercriminals.