Both healthcare organisations and patients benefit from digital transformation in healthcare. For example, it enables a hospital to operate interconnected systems and processes for both patients and medical staff, allowing for much more efficient and accurate provision of necessary care and service.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in explosive growth in telemedicine. To meet this demand, a few health companies and services have emerged; the public sector is also developing services. Such services are a lifeline not only for those who have isolated themselves but also for those who live in remote areas or do not have direct access to health care. Indonesia’s large, diverse and geographically inconsistent population makes Indonesia a particularly attractive market for telemedical services.
Along with the benefits that medical organisations can reap, the push toward digitalisation makes them increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks, which many are unaware of until they become the target of the attacks. It is not surprising that the number of cyber-attack-related cases has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including misinformation leading to COVID-19 scams, which has increased significantly.
The impact of cyber-attacks on healthcare organisations is not only related to the healthcare system, and the more technical aspects but can also cause long-term reputational damage through the loss, for example, of patient trust and public confidence.
Certainly, given the devastating impact of cyber-attacks and the constantly evolving cyber threat landscape, healthcare organisations require cybersecurity to ensure that their operations, particularly as they digitalise, are designed to run efficiently and, above all, to keep patient data confidential.
The development of cyber protection is therefore of the utmost importance to mitigate the threats and reduce the risk to patient care and outcomes. To address this, a UK-based cybersecurity firm stands out in the cyber protection scene due to its incredible performance and unparalleled track record of improving healthcare cybersecurity.
Positive cybersecurity culture
The two country representatives exchanged insights into the appropriate, effective, and efficient regulation of the telemedicine sector at a recent cybersecurity conference held on June 15-16, 2021, in collaboration between the British Embassy Jakarta and the Indonesian Ministry of Health. The implementation of the recommendation areas was discussed at the conference and included areas such as:
Framework for safety outcomes; Data protection impact assessment and community health centres training; Governance and strategic risk assessment; Development of the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).
The Jakarta Embassy’s digital access programme will collaborate with the national cybersecurity company to advance these areas of work with the Indonesian Ministry of Health and other government officials.
OpenGov Asia reported that to manage these cyber-security issues, the government must consider other initiatives, such as improving the development of machine-to-machine (M2M) technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, which continuously make these institutions more vulnerable to a variety of cyber-attacks.
Moreover, Indonesia’s cybersecurity industry is underdeveloped. Foreign hardware and software products still dominate its market. Only the local consulting industry has grown well, providing services such as digital forensics and security.
Concerns regarding more general priorities, the company has also stated that it is crucial for stakeholders in health and telemedicine organizations, such as the board of directors, professionals, and staff, to understand the cybersecurity agenda for cybersecurity to be implemented in a relevant and effective manner.
Cybersecurity should be viewed as a responsibility shared by all employees across all departments in their daily data handling and interactions with patients, colleagues, and third parties. This is very different from how many health professionals believe that cybersecurity is solely the responsibility of the technology team.
