Much of the focus, with the latest major vulnerability, has been on personal devices and equipment. The vulnerabilities, exposed in Spectre and Meltdown, span processors made over the past 20 plus years. Companies around the world are working tirelessly to protect and patch systems; however, there are major implications for cloud-based users. The exploits allow a hacker, or criminal, to peer into the private data of a client, through possible data leaking. There are many types of configurations for cloud-based systems, and many who adopt these solutions do not understand their type of service plan. In situations where the same cloud-based server is used by dozens of clients those configurations can potentially be a major threat to your private patient data. The Spectre vulnerability could potentially let any attacker steal information from the same server. The size of the breach is extensive and cyber-criminals may continue to exploit it for years to come. Make sure you understand how to secure and protect your data, keeping yourself safe from legal liability with your medical patient data.
