The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced on March 20 the launch of a new cybersecurity module within its Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) Toolkit 2.0.
The addition aims to help healthcare professionals, medical facilities, and hospitals prepare for and prevent disruptions in patient care caused by cyberattacks. The toolkit is designed as a free, web-based platform that allows users to conduct risk assessments by identifying threats, assessing vulnerabilities, and determining potential consequences in one unified tool.
According to HHS, “RISC Toolkit 2.0 is a free, web-based platform in which risk assessments are conducted by identifying threats and critical gaps, assessing vulnerabilities, and determining consequences all in one unified tool to help you better understand what is needed to strengthen your cybersecurity and make informed decisions about risk mitigation.” Organizations already using the RISC Toolkit can update their profiles to include the new cybersecurity assessment features.
Healthcare organizations interested in learning more or with questions are encouraged to contact the ISMS Health Policy Research and Advocacy team by email.
The introduction of this module reflects ongoing efforts by federal agencies to address growing concerns over digital security threats facing the healthcare sector.
