“Phish” Out of Water: Healthcare Industry Lags Behind Others When It Comes to Identifying Scam Emails

​Many healthcare workers lack awareness when it comes to discerning phishing emails from legitimate ones, according to Media Pro's 2017 State of Privacy and Security Report. Media Pro surveyed 1,009 healthcare employees in the United Sates about their security and privacy awareness. They then compared the results against a broader sample of respondents in other industries. Overall, 78% of healthcare employees showed at least some lack of preparedness to handle common privacy and security risks. Among the broader sample, that percentage was 70%. Half of physicians surveyed scored in the “risk" category, meaning their actions could increase their organization's chance for a privacy or security incident. Only 22% of providers scored in the “hero" category, meaning they know how to identify scams and properly dispose of personal information.