Applied Radiology Features Christoph Wald in Cyberattacks Article

ACR Informatics Commission Chair Christoph Wald, MD, PhD, MBA, FACR, was featured in an Applied Radiology article on cyberattacks in healthcare. Cybercriminals frequently target Patient Health Information (PHI) for identity theft and fraud crimes, and Dr. Wald emphasized that compromised PHI is a big problem.  

“From a radiologist’s perspective, you’re always managing [up to] 20 years of legacy technology in your department,” Dr. Wald told Applied Radiology, adding that without regular security patches, there will be persisting vulnerabilities that can put entire organizations at risk. 

“Radiology is the first digital specialty. We are completely and 100% dependent on these systems and networks,” Dr. Wald told the outlet. “When we get attacked, the whole chain of imaging care may break down immediately with potentially immediate effects on patient care depending on the clinical setting.” 

It’s important to establish how an imaging enterprises’ information ecosystem is connected so radiology leaders can figure out how to remain operational “when the lights go out,” as well as who to contact about specific concerns, he said. 

One way to stay up to date on cybersecurity is by visiting the ACR IT Commission Cybersecurity Resource Hub, which has helpful how-tos, primers, videos, links to government resources and chat forums, as well as recommendations for recovery strategies. 

To read the full story, visit Applied Radiology.