Key points

• Insider threats are a major risk to healthcare data security, with both malicious and negligent actions putting sensitive information in jeopardy.
• Malicious insiders can intentionally harm healthcare organisations, while negligent insiders often expose data through carelessness or lack of awareness.
• Healthcare data is highly valuable to hackers, making it a prime target for exploitation and black-market sale.
• Metomic helps protect sensitive data by tracking user activity, detecting risks early, and managing access to ensure that only authorised personnel can access critical information.

Insider threats are an increasing concern, as the percentage of organisations reporting no incidents declined from 34% in 2019 to 24% in 2024.

Individuals with access to sensitive data, whether acting with malicious intent or through simple mistakes, have the potential to cause significant harm.

Healthcare data is highly valuable, often ten to 40 times more lucrative to hackers than credit card data, making it a prime target for both insiders and external threats. As insider threats continue to rise, safeguarding patient information from internal risks is more important than ever.

In 2024, healthcare organisations paid a total of $12,841,796 in fines to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for HIPAA violations. Without adequate security measures and protocols in place, healthcare organisations could face hefty fines, legal action, and lasting damage to their reputation, making comprehensive data security a must.

What is an insider threat and how do they happen?

An insider threat occurs when someone within the organisation – whether it's an employee, contractor, or third-party vendor – uses their access to systems or data for malicious or negligent purposes.

There are three main types of insider threats:

• Malicious insiders: Employees or contractors who intentionally cause harm, either for personal gain or to retaliate against the organisation.
• Negligent insiders: Individuals who make mistakes or fail to follow security protocols, leading to unintentional data breaches.
• Third-party vendors: External partners who may not adhere to the organisation’s security standards, which increases the risk of a breach.

*It's important to be aware that not all insider threats have malicious purposes. Read more about the difference between insider threat and insider risk.

Some common triggers for insider threats include:

• Excessive access permissions: Granting employees more access than necessary can open the door for both intentional and accidental misuse.
• Poor security training: Employees may unknowingly put data at risk if they don't understand the best security practices.
• Disgruntlement among staff: Employees who feel mistreated or undervalued might be more likely to engage in malicious behaviour.

What are the specific risks to healthcare data when it comes to insider threats?

Health data is highly valuable due to the extensive amount of personal identifiable information (PII). This makes it an attractive target for cybercriminals, who can sell it for financial gain or use it in ransom attacks, potentially damaging a healthcare organisation’s reputation. Even more concerning, insider threats can disrupt vital healthcare services, delaying treatments and putting patient care at risk.

According to the Data Breach Investigations Report, a staggering 35% of data breaches in the healthcare sector were caused by internal actors. And between 2018 and 2023, healthcare data breaches reported to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) shot up by over 102%.

With insider threats on the rise, tackling these risks is critical to keeping healthcare data secure and services running smoothly.

Why is healthcare data so valuable for hackers?

Healthcare data is a goldmine for cybercriminals. It’s packed with personal, financial, and medical information, all of which can be sold on the dark web for a hefty profit.

Patient records are particularly valuable because they contain detailed information that can be exploited for identity theft, fraud, or blackmail. Adding to the risk, this data can be misused for years and is harder to detect compared to stolen information like credit card numbers.

Hackers are also attracted to healthcare organisations due to the potential for extortion. Ransomware attacks are also particularly prevalent, with 67% of healthcare organisations targeted in 2024 alone. In these attacks, criminals lock systems and demand payment to restore access, knowing that healthcare providers cannot afford prolonged downtime.

The financial value of healthcare data can’t be overstated. Some estimates suggest that the 55 million patient records held by the NHS alone could have a market value as high as £5 billion per year.

📝Report: Healthcare Data Crisis - Uncovering the Alarming Gaps in Data Security and Compliance

In our Healthcare Data Crisis report, we share new data - gathered through our data security platform - that highlights how insecure file-sharing practices are exposing large amounts of sensitive data.

You’ll discover:

• The critical security gaps in healthcare organisations’ file-sharing practice, including the fact that 25% of publicly shared files in healthcare organisations contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII). 

• The common file-sharing mistakes being made by healthcare employees that are bringing about these security risks.
• How a Data Loss Prevention solution like Metomic can pinpoint where sensitive data is located and who has access to it, and automate the necessary actions to safeguard any exposed data.

Why is it so vital to keep healthcare data protected?

Healthcare data isn’t just a collection of numbers and records—those numbers and records represent real people, so protecting this data is key to maintaining patient privacy and trust. Our own reports show that healthcare data is especially vulnerable to breach, with up to 25% of publicly shared files containing sensitive data.

Patients need to feel confident that their sensitive information is safe, whether it’s personal details, medical history, or payment information.

The stakes are high when it comes to healthcare cyberattacks. Beyond breaching patient trust, these incidents can lead to huge financial losses and regulatory penalties.

In fact, the average cost of a healthcare data breach reached $9.77 million, making it the most expensive industry to suffer a breach in. The pressure is on to ensure healthcare data is secure, as the financial impact can be devastating for organisations—especially smaller providers.

*Find out more about how cloud-based healthcare systems can maintain HIPAA compliance.

What compliance regulations can be broken, and what are the implications?

Strong data security also plays a major role in compliance. Failing to protect patient data can result in hefty fines and damage to a provider's reputation.

Healthcare organisations must comply with several critical regulations to protect patient data, including but not limited to:

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): This EU regulation enforces stringent data protection and privacy standards. Non-compliance can lead to fines of up to 4% of annual global turnover or €20 million, whichever is higher.
• HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): In the US, HIPAA sets the standard for safeguarding sensitive patient information. Penalties range from $100 to $50,000 per affected record, with a maximum annual fine of $1.5 million per violation type.

If you’d like a more in-depth look at these and other key regulations, take a look at our comprehensive guide to eight key healthcare regulations organisations must comply with.

Failure to meet these regulations not only results in substantial fines - it can also cause significant reputational damage, which can erode patient trust, and increase vulnerability to data breaches.

Common compliance pitfalls include:

• Inadequate access control: Without proper restrictions, unauthorised individuals can access sensitive data, increasing breach risks.
• Failure to monitor privileged access: Poor oversight of users with elevated permissions can lead to data misuse or accidental exposure.

How can healthcare security teams prevent insider threats?

Preventing insider threats requires a multi-layered approach, combining the right technology, processes, and a strong security culture.

Here are some effective strategies:

• Implement the principle of least privilege: Limiting access to sensitive data based on a person’s role ensures that employees only access the information necessary for their job. This reduces the risk of accidental or malicious data misuse.
• Conduct regular security awareness training: Educating staff about the risks of insider threats—whether from malicious intent or negligence—is crucial. Training should focus on recognising potential threats, following best practices for data security, and knowing how to respond in case of a breach.
• Use comprehensive monitoring systems: By tracking user activity across your network, healthcare organisations can detect unusual behaviour that could indicate an insider threat. Early detection is key to preventing serious damage.
• Regular audits and reviews of access permissions: It’s important to periodically review who has access to what data and ensure that permissions are still appropriate. Regular audits help spot any discrepancies and ensure that security policies are being followed.

How Metomic can help

Metomic’s platform offers key features that can support healthcare organisations in protecting sensitive data and mitigating insider threats:

• Detect insider threats: Metomic can track user activity to spot any potential risks early, helping prevent data breaches before they become serious.
• Identify unusual employee behaviour: With the creation of custom workflows, our platform looks out for any strange patterns in employee activity and flags them quickly and can adapt to your organisation’s specific needs, making it more personalised.
• Manage access control: With Metomic, you’ll be alerted if sensitive data is accessed or shared without authorisation, so you can keep track of who has access to what.
• Streamline compliance: Our platform simplifies compliance with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, helping organisations stay on top of requirements.

Getting started with Metomic

Getting started with Metomic is straightforward and designed to help you tackle insider threats while keeping your sensitive data safe. Here's how you can get started:

• Free risk assessment: Use our free tools to get a snapshot of your current security. This helps you spot any weak spots and figure out where you can improve your protection against insider threats.
• Book a personalised demo: Schedule a personalised demo with our team to see exactly how Metomic can help. We’ll show you how our platform can safeguard your data and monitor user activity to catch potential threats early.
• Consult with our experts: Got specific concerns? Our team is ready to chat. We’ll work with you to fine-tune your security strategy and boost your monitoring to stay ahead of any risks.