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What is the Cost of a Data Breach?

A recent study found that the total average cost of a healthcare breach is $10.10 million. Can your healthcare practice afford a breach?

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Can your healthcare practice afford a breach? Most healthcare entities cannot.

Since 2020, healthcare breach costs have risen by 42%.

As we know healthcare breaches are incessant, it is important to understand trends.

The trends that have emerged over the past few years are:

Repeat attacks. Many healthcare entities have seen repeat attacks. Organizations with automated security systems were able to shorten the breach lifecycle and mitigate the damage caused by the breach.
Consistent causes. The most common cause of data breaches were stolen credentials. Ransomware also continues to plague healthcare entities, with ransomware increasing by 41% in the last year.
Consistent place. The most common place for data breaches to occur is in the cloud.

While data breaches can be threatening, there are also good trends that have emerged over the past few years. These include:

Automated security shortens breach lifecycles. When possible, make sure that your updates are automated and all security patches are up to date. Having sufficient security measures in place is your first line of defense for a cyber attack or breach.
Shorter breach lifecycles mean lower costs. The quicker your practice is being able to audit the damage and get up and running after a breach, the less money the breach will cost.
Having appropriate policies and procedures with well-trained employees leads to shorter lifecycles. When your staff knows how to handle a breach, they can act quickly and mitigate the damage caused by the breach. This is essential when trying to get your practice back online and keep your patients’ protected health information unaffected.

So how can you protect your practice?

Work with your healthcare attorney to ensure that your HIPAA risk assessment is up to date and your security measures are sufficient.
Test your breach readiness plan often.
Make sure your policies and procedures clearly detail how to proceed in the event of a breach.
Train your employees. We help our clients train their employees to know what to look for and what steps to take to respond to a breach right away.

If you have questions or need help with your healthcare breach readiness and response or HIPAA risk assessment, contact Rickard & Associates today.

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Teaching Braille in PE – PHE America

Each school year, I teach a unit called “Abilities Awareness”. Making students aware of each other’s different abilities helps us become better citizens and leads to a more positive and inclusive school climate. This awareness leads to empathy and a deeper understanding of our peers’ individual learning needs resulting in a sense of belonging, community, and value in our school community. This unit is also an opportunity to address misconceptions surrounding different disabilities. In the words of Winston Churchill, “Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.”

Sight Reading Braille
This year, I wanted to introduce my students to the basics of the Braille alphabet. First, my student teacher, Tyler Villez, and I gave the student’s background information on Louis Braille and how he invented a form of written language for people with vision impairments, called Braille. We explained to them that Braille was a written language in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots felt with the fingers. Our students learned that Braille, as well as enlarged print and audio, was how vision-impaired students accessed instructional materials in school.

We first taught our students how to read the Braille alphabet by sight through a fun Braille scavenger hunt game. The “Fitness Braille Alphabet” posters I used in the game can be found here. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Braille-Alphabet-Fitness-9261345. We placed all 26 Braille alphabet posters on cones and scattered them around the gym.

We then gave students index cards with words, written in Braille. The students had to race around the gym trying to identify each Braille letter in the word, by referencing the Braille Alphabet Fitness posters. Once they found a matching letter, they would do the exercise on the poster that corresponded to that letter. For example, if they figured out that the first letter of their word was an L then they would have to do 5 lunges before moving on. When they found all the letters to the word and did all the exercises, they had to race to me and tell me the word the letters spelled (each word was a name of a vegetable). If they were correct, they would get another word. Partners with the most completed words “won” the game but the real victory was the students experiencing a different way to read using Braille. Students learned that having a visual impairment did not mean they could not read, they just did it in a different way. Just like the word ‘disability’ does not mean inability. My intention for this activity was not to teach the entire braille code but rather to raise awareness at an introductory level.

Writing in Braille
Another game we played focused on introducing the students to write in Braille. The students used this blank alphabet template, with the above Braille Alphabet Fitness cards, and raced around the room trying to locate and fill in each cell in the alphabet. Once they found the next letter in the alphabet, they had to perform the exercise on the poster before moving on to the next letter. This was a great assessment tool and students got to take it home with them.

Many students reported to me that they used their completed Braille alphabet key to write letters to their friends. They loved using it because their siblings and parents couldn’t read the letters since they were not familiar with the Braille alphabet!

Reading Braille by Feel
My favorite game was when my student teacher and I cut egg cartons in half and used them as blank cells to create letters in Braille.

We used ping pong balls as the embossed Braille dots. One partner would race down to the right side of the gym and create a letter in Braille using the egg carton and ping pong balls. They can choose any letter they wish. Their partner would be doing the same thing on the opposite side of the gym. Once they both finished creating their letter with ping pong balls, they must both cover the egg carton with a yoga mat so their partner can’t see it. They would then race and switch sides with each other, slide their hands under the yoga mat, and by feeling the ping pong balls, decide what letter it was. (Leave a key next to the egg carton for the students to use as a reference). When they think they have figured out which letter it is, they both have to meet in the middle of the gym. Each partner will take turns guessing their letter. If they are correct, they get to do 3 sit-ups to celebrate. If they are incorrect, give your partner a high-five and tell them “Nice try!” Then their partner will guess. When they are finished, they can play again.

We also played site word relay races. Teams of two would be given a 4-5 letter word. The goal was for the students to create each letter of the word in Braille using egg cartons and ping pong balls. On ‘go’, they must scooter down to the other side of the gym and create the first letter of the word, then scooter back. Next, their partner would scooter down and make the 2^nd letter in the word and scooter back. They would continue this pattern until they completed the entire word. Once each team finished their word, they had to do team synchronized sit-ups until all other teams finished creating their word. Teams get one point per synchronized sit-up they perform in each round.

My students really enjoyed learning about Braille and playing games that exposed them to it. By raising the student’s awareness of different abilities we are giving students opportunities to learn from one another. They develop understanding, acceptance, and empathy and are helping to create a positive and inclusive school environment for all.

Here is a great resource to help teach Braille to students. https://hadley.edu/workshops/learn-basic-braille-by-sight-reading-series/braille-reading-by-sight-letters-aj

Readout of Roundtable on Capital Access for Small Businesses

Yesterday, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) Isabel Guzmán, the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo, American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling, and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Bharat Ramamurti were joined by US Senator John Hickenlooper (D -CO) and small business leaders, advocates, and mission lenders with particular expertise in reaching minority small businesses to discuss the Biden-Harris Administration’s small business agenda to expand capital access, including newly proposed rules from the SBA and historic investments by the Treasury Department in CDFIs. The group includes non-profit mission lender groups, Community Development Financial Institutions (CFIs), foundations, and advocacy groups all seasoned in meeting the needs of historically underserved small business owners.

Participants agreed on the importance of breaking down barriers to capital by meeting small business owners where they are, providing multiple paths to accessing capital, and offering support services needed to navigate available programs to better reach underserved small business owners. The Biden-Harris Administration is working to address these needs in a number of ways, including through investments in the American Rescue Plan that have helped set the stage for supporting small businesses for years to come. SBA is proposing reforms that would make it easier for lenders to work with SBA to offer small dollar loans, expanding the pool of lenders and capital options for small businesses with a focus on the historically underserved. Treasury has launched an interagency effort to identify gaps in services for underserved communities and made historic investments in the CDFIs that often serve as the primary lender for minority-owned businesses.

Administrator Guzmán provided an overview of her capital access reform agenda for the SBA. This included the proposal to lift the moratorium on Small Business Lending Company (SBLC) licenses, proposed reforms to the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program, and proposed streamlining and modernization of the affiliation, lending criteria, and employee ownership requirements for the SBA’s Business Loan Programs. The proposed SBLC rule would allow SBA to pilot this expansion of lending activity while ensuring proper lender engagement and protection protocols. The Administrator identified the priority for these new SBLC licenses to focus on a diverse representation of lenders that responsibly meet the capital needs of the smallest businesses, minority businesses, and rural communities. In addition, later this year SBA plans to launch significant technological improvements to its small business borrower-lender matching tool, improving the experience and ease of matching potential borrowers and lenders.

The Deputy Secretary spoke to the historic cooperation in the Biden-Harris Administration between agencies to support underserved communities, especially when it comes to community investment and access to capital. Through the Emergency Capital Investment Program, CDFI Fund, and State Small Business Credit Initiative, the Treasury has deployed billions in funding to assist small and minority-owned businesses and consumers. In July, Vice President Harris announced the formation of the Interagency Community Investment Committee (ICIC), chaired by the Treasury Department, which has since led a process to solicit input on how agencies can better align to support underserved communities.

Senator Hickenlooper emphasized the critical nature of expanding small business activity nationwide and highlighted the role responsibly regulated fintechs can play in expanding access to affordable capital for underserved small businesses while protecting the integrity of the system.

In the meeting, participants recommended the Biden-Harris Administration on these initiatives that have improved access to capital and addressed persistent gaps in lending. One participant raised how welcome and necessary the proactive consideration around expanding SBLC licenses to focus on mission-based lenders would be, and recommended SBA for prioritizing a measured expansion of licenses to ensure consumer protections. Another leading small business advocate highlighted how the expansion of SBLC licenses would allow for a diversification of lending options, including mission lenders and responsible fintech options, to fill acute capital gaps and commended the SBA’s borrower protection principles. Multiple participants highlighted the importance of making sure capital allocators reflect the diversity of America and its small business owners. The group discussed the critical opportunity to expand the use of technology to scale lending operations, alternative underwriting models, and technical assistance delivery.

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Tesla gets Justice Department subpoena for self-driving cars – Business News

Photo: The Canadian Press

The US Justice Department has requested documents from Tesla Inc. related to its Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” features, according to a regulatory filing.

“To our knowledge no government agency in any ongoing investigation has concluded that any wrongdoing occurred,” Tesla said in the filing Tuesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Austin, Texas-based electric vehicle maker cautioned that if the government decides to pursue an enforcement action, it could possibly have a material adverse impact on its business.

A message was left Tuesday seeking comment from the Justice Department.

Tesla is already facing multiple investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for problems with its two driver-assist systems, Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving.”

Despite their names, Tesla still says on its website that the cars can’t drive themselves. Teslas using “Full Self-Driving” can navigate roads in many cases, but experts say the system can make mistakes, which even CEO Elon Musk admits. “We’re not saying it’s quite ready to have no one behind the wheel,” CEO Musk said in October.

The systems have been under investigation by NHTSA since June of 2016 when a driver using Autopilot was killed after his Tesla went under a tractor-trailer crossing its path in Florida. A separate probe into Teslas that were using Autopilot when they crashed into emergency vehicles started in August 2021. At least 14 Teslas that have crashed into emergency vehicles while using the Autopilot system.

Including the Florida crash, NHTSA has sent investigators to 35 Tesla crashes in which automated systems are suspected of being used. Nineteen people have died in those crashes, including two motorcyclists.

“Full Self-Driving” went on sale late in 2015, and Musk has used the name ever since. It currently costs $15,000 to activate the system. That year, Musk said the company will have full autonomy in about three years.

In 2019 he promised a fleet of autonomous robotaxis by 2020, and he said in early 2022 that the cars would be autonomous that year.

Since 2021, Tesla has been beta-testing “Full Self-Driving” using owners who haven’t been trained on the system but are actively monitored by the company. Tesla said this month that 400,000 owners are participating.

Auto safety advocates and government investigators have long criticized Tesla’s monitoring system as inadequate. Three years ago the National Transportation Safety Board listed poor monitoring as a contributing factor in a 2018 fatal Tesla crash in California. The board recommended a better system, but said Tesla was not responsive.

NHTSA has noted in documents that numerous Tesla crashes have occurred in which drivers had their hands on the wheel but still weren’t paying attention. The agency has said that Autopilot is being used in areas where its capabilities are limited and that many drivers aren’t taking action to avoid crashes despite warnings from the vehicle.

In addition, the National Transportation Safety Board determined in 2020 that Tesla’s system to make sure drivers are paying attention is not adequate, and it should be limited to areas where it can operate safely.

In premarket trading, Tesla shares slipped 1.3%.

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Healthcare Encryption Exceptions? – Rickard & Associates

We know that all emails and text messages that contain protected health information (PHI) should be encrypted.

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Are there any exceptions to the encryption rule?

Just one.

Patients can communicate with covered entities using unencrypted email and text messages, if the patients have been informed of the increased risk.

Patients can opt to have reminders sent via text messages or emails.

One issue that many healthcare providers have regarding encryption, is failing to fully realize all information that is PHI. PHI is an incredibly broad classification that includes much more than just a patient’s name or address or Social Security Number.

Another issue that healthcare providers must face is the over labeling of portals, storage, services as being “HIPAA compliant”.

While some of these services are HIPAA compliant, some are not and it is the covered entity’s job to do their due diligence.

While encryption is an addressable implementation specification, it is an incredibly useful tool for healthcare providers and can greatly reduce penalties in the event of a breach.

Healthcare entities should perform routine and thorough risk assessments to check for areas of vulnerability.

If you need help updating your compliance plan, auditing, or training staff, contact us today.

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We publish vital information on health law topics and news every Wednesday and Friday. To get this important information delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe today!

Twitter will kick nonpaying users out of its main feed

Twitter will soon display only tweets from Twitter Blue members in the algorithmically curated “For You” feed that users see by default, CEO Elon Musk has announced. The change will take effect from April 15—two weeks after Twitter is due to start removing the “legacy” blue checks from users who are merely notable and haven’t agreed to pony up $8 a month for Twitter Blue.

In other words, the next few weeks will see Twitter become a much more stratified service. It was already the case that Twitter Blue subscribers could post longer tweets than regular users, but now they will also have exclusive access to the platform’s primary amplification system. (Disclosures: Like many journalists, I have for many years been granted a blue tick to verify the authenticity of my account; and as I won’t pay for the new kind of blue tick, I will rejoin the unwashed masses come Saturday. Life is hard.)

There’s a rich irony in Musk’s Twitter planning to algorithmically suppress the output of certain kinds of accounts—in this case, those belonging to people who cannot or will not pay. In the parlance popularized by people like Elon Musk, this is what is known as “shadowbanning.” It was apparently a very bad thing to do—until it wasn’t.

Musk’s justification for making the change—that it’s “the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over”—is also highly debatable. There’s already evidence to suggest that Twitter’s shift to paid verification has helped pro-Russian accounts circulate disinformation, and that the company has approved dodgy bots as Twitter Blue subscribers.

That said, bots are a real problem, and the explosion in easily accessible AI capabilities will quickly make them harder to spot and therefore more dangerous. All social platforms have a major AI bot challenge on their plate, so Twitter’s success or failure in tackling the issue through paid verification will prove instructive, one way or the other.

Similarly, we are about to learn the true value of the Twitter Blue tick. If it turns out that the masses love seeing a stream of tweets from people who have paid to promote their thoughts, then everyone’s a winner. Alternatively, it may turn out that those with deeper pockets don’t necessarily produce the most scintillating content, in which case people will either switch to the Following feed—embarrassing for Musk and for Twitter Blue subscribers, as it takes a lot to make most people shun defaults—or just stop using Twitter so much, which would make the service less attractive to advertisers. Either way, there will be implications for Twitter’s revenue streams.

I’m keen to know your thoughts on this one—personally I wouldn’t be caught dead paying to amplify my tweets, but then again I’m a late Generation Xer who still sees “selling out” as a bad thing—so drop me an e-mail or a tweets on the subject, if you feel so inclined.

David Mayer

Data Sheet’s daily news section was written and curated by Andrea Guzman.

NEWSWORTHY

A TikTok ban would leave a hole in businesses’ marketing strategies. TikTok has helped companies discover what’s trending and use it to inform strategy. But a TikTok ban would cause the reach and revenue of small-business owners to take a hit. For Melissa Chapman, CEO of production company Jungle Creations, the app is a powerful way to boost the cultural relevance of brands. “No other platform does this as successfully,” Chapman said.

Alibaba’s restructuring. China’s online commerce leader Alibaba has announced plans to transform into six business units, splitting up the $250 billion empire cofounded by Jack Ma 24 years ago. The move will separate businesses like Alibaba’s cloud business and its digital media group, and analysts told Bloomberg that the breakup could result in several initial public offerings. In early New York trading Tuesday, its US-listed shares jumped 12%.

Changing of the guard at Lyft. The trend of tech founders stepping back from the CEO role at their companies, which has included Netflix’s Reed Hastings and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, continued on Monday when Lyft CEO Logan Green announced that he and cofounder John Zimmer were moving into non-executive roles on the board of directors. The duo will be replaced by David Risher, a former Amazon executive, in the CEO role. The leadership change comes as Lyft has seen its ride-hailing business rival Uber continue to steal market share in the US and as the company continues to lose money.

ON OUR FEED

“We have not yet seen a lot of evidence that our constituents should be putting their money in these speculative tokens unless they are prepared to lose all their money.”

—Harriett Baldwin, chair of the UK’s Treasury Select Committee, on the government’s announcement that it is no longer producing a non-fungible token for sale through the Royal Mint

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Elon Musk takes a shot at Bill Gates in ongoing feud, saying the Microsoft founder’s understanding of AI is ‘limited,’ by Eleanor Pringle

The crypto industry enlisted an unlikely champion in its crusade against the SEC: An ex-Coinbase manager convicted of insider tradingby Leo Schwartz

Uber Eats pares its menu and removes thousands of virtual brandsby Chris Morris

SVB staff claim they got up to 50% of their salaries in company equity—now some may have have lost millions in its collapseby Eleanor Pringle

Sam Bankman-Fried bribed Chinese officials to the tune of $40 million as he got desperate about frozen Alameda funds, new DOJ charge claimsby Leo Schwartz

BEFORE YOU GO

Amazon Sidewalk is here. Amazon is now shipping kits for Sidewalk, its long-range wireless network that connects Internet of Things devices. Accessible to 90% of the US population, Amazon says that a mobile software development kit for iOS and Android devices will speed up integration of Sidewalk technology into developers’ mobile apps, and a separate tools app will help users debug and troubleshoot in the field. Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices and Services, said the team has rapidly built out the network since it was announced in 2019. “Many types of connected devices have been limited by the range of Wi-Fi and the cost of cellular technology, which has hindered the ability to connect devices such as environmental sensors, leak detectors, and smart locks,” Limp said. “Sidewalk is designed to provide a secure, low-cost way to invent and connect a whole new range of devices, and we can’t wait to see what the developers build.”

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SeABank successfully completed the business plan of 2022

HANOI, Vietnam, Feb. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Despite 2022’s unstable markets, SeABank (stock code: SSB) successfully maintained a stable growth and completed the business plan set out in 2022 with impressive profit-before-tax of nearly US$216.16 millioncompleting 104% of 2022’s profit plan thanks to proactive business solutions and risk management.

Notably, Total assets reached US$9.87 billion, increasing 9.34%; Return on assets (ROA) and Return on equity (ROE) were 1.83% and 18.1% respectively, showing SeABank’s top-tier efficiency; cost-to-income ratio (CIR) decreased to 35.3% and bad debt decreased to 1.60%.

Remarkably, net non-interest income (NOII) has impressively grown by 43%, reaching US$112.6 million and accounting for 12.7% of total revenue. This demonstrates SeABank’s stability and sustainability, which are further enhanced through product structure diversification; digital banking and non-credit activity development; effective utilization of existing customer profiles.

Moreover, SeABank has increased its charter capital to US$844.73 million in 2022. It is on track of reaching US$870.06 millionpartly with the implementation of the 2022 ESOP program that benefited more than 2,500 employees.

In 2022, SeABank continuously implements and applies international standards to banking operations. Typically, the Bank applied Basel III risk management standards and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), received Ba3 ratings from Moody’s for many categories.

Simultaneously, SeABank expanded international cooperation and attracted valuable investments totaling up to US$500 million from DFC, IFC and other international investment funds. This improved SeABank’s financial capacity to support SMEs, especially women-owned ones, and green credit. It also diversifies with capital mobilization channels, thereby increasing low-cost capital to benefit customers.

“Digital convergence” strategy also enhanced SeABank’s competitive advantages. Particularly, the Bank has automated working processes through applications such as e-office (SeAOffice), FPT.AI virtual assistant, etc. Besides, SeABank applies the most updated technologies such as AI, cloud computing, etc. to build business-responsive applications and digitize products, services. This led to optimized costs and operating time, promoting convenience and experience for both customers and employees. As a result, SeABank reached an impressive e-bank user growth with 941,608 new users.

SeABank also keeps expanding its operating network, bringing the total number of transaction points to 180 across 31 regions nationwide. SeABank’s brand reputation and strong growth in 2022 are marked by various prestigious awards and honors: Vietnam National Brand 2022 (Ministry of Industry and Trade), “Top 1000 World Banks 2022” (The Banker), “Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2022″ (HR Asia), “Bank of the Year” (The Banker), etc.

SOURCE SeABank