WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues recently introduced the Strengthening Cybersecurity in Health Care Act, legislation that requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to perform consistent evaluations of its cybersecurity systems and report their findings to Congress.

“Too many North Carolinians have experienced data breaches by malicious hackers, which is especially concerning when it comes to sensitive health information,” said Senator Tillis. “Americans shouldn’t have to worry about harmful cybersecurity attacks and this legislation ensures any personal health data stored by the Department of Health and Human Services is properly secured and protected from cybersecurity attacks.”  

Background:

Recent reporting has indicated an exponential increase in cybersecurity attacks against healthcare systems across the country, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In 2023, approximately 133 million people had their health data, such as Medicare beneficiary data, social security numbers, and medical records breached. As the agency tasked with keeping Americans’ personal health information safe, HHS must be equipped to combat the latest hacking strategies. 

Full text of the bill can be found HERE.

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