Cybersecurity should remain a top priority for senior living organizations, as breaches continue in the industry. The holiday season may leave even more organizations open to risk, said a recent alert from BlueOrange Compliance, a LeadingAge Bronze Partner with CAST Focus. This year has seen an increase in attacks over holidays and weekends.

The latest attacks came to Episcopal Retirement Services, which provides senior living communities and community services in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Two ransomware attacks this fall put personal health information and sensitive contact information such as insurance, Medicare, and Social Security numbers at risk.

The first cyber-attack impacted systems and servers, which were quickly restored and secured, Episcopal Retirement Services said in a statement. Nearly a month later, a ransomware attack occurred. At that time, Episcopal Retirement Services learned that the first attack was also a ransomware attack.

Episcopal Retirement Services said it had no evidence indicating that any information had been misused as of the statement date, Nov. 19, 2021. Yet they are not alone in facing the disruption caused by cyberattacks. “We were upset to learn that we were one of thousands of organizations dealing with these types of incidents,” said CEO Laura Lamb.

CAST Cybersecurity Resources

LeadingAge CAST has developed several resources to help its members prepare for cybersecurity threats.

A LeadingAge CAST case study, “Managing HIPAA Compliance and Cyber Security Through Partnership,” explains how life plan community Waverly Heights partners with BlueOrange Compliance to address cybersecurity risks. See a summary or the full case study.

The CAST Cybersecurity Resources will help you to understand and mitigate threats, as well as plan how to respond if your organization is attacked.  A white paper, case studies, and a benchmarking questionnaire will help aging services providers identify risks and plug vulnerabilities.

Providers who are working with voice technologies should also review “Opportunities, and Risks, with New Smart Voice Technology in Senior Living.”

5 Cybersecurity Hotspots for Senior Living

A recent guest column in McKnight’s Senior Living, “Assessing your organization’s cybersecurity risk: 5 key areas for senior living operators,” provides additional insight, with valuable first steps for mitigating risk.