Marc’s exceptional efforts have helped Icon elevate our defences against potential threats and have also recently earned him a finalist spot in the Australian Cyber Security Awards.
With cybersecurity more crucial than ever, we spoke with Marc about the current cybersecurity landscape, his role in safeguarding our patient and partner data and the steps Icon is taking to enhance our security measures to ensure we can withstand future challenges.
The past few years have seen a surge in cyber threats targeting healthcare organisations – fuelled by the continued integration of advanced technology.
In 2022, the Australian Digital Health Agency reported a 65 per cent increase in cyber-attacks on healthcare organisations and that 70 per cent of experienced delays due to cyber-attacks, disrupting their ability to provide timely and quality care.1
Amidst these rising threats, Marc highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity.
“The healthcare sector is uniquely vulnerable to cyber-attacks due to the sensitivity of patient data and the critical nature of healthcare services – so ensuring we are well-armed against any potential attacks is crucial,” Marc explained.
“Strengthening cybersecurity operations plays a pivotal role in building and maintaining trust with our patients and partners, knowing they can trust us with their most personal and critical health information.
“It also reduces risks, ensuring our professionals and frontline teams can easily access this data with compromising its safety, so they can deliver the best care possible.”
The work of Marc and his team at Icon is often complex, continuously monitoring and responding to ever-evolving threats and helping ensure our patient and partner data is always safe.
“At Icon, our team operates 24/7, supported by a Security Operations Centre, and we monitor an average of over 8.5 billion events each month, forming part of approximately 175,000 suspicious detections and around 2,300 alerts per month,” Marc said.
“Our team works on over 90 per cent of these alerts, prioritised based on risk and impact, initiating about 35 investigations a month.
“These investigations are critical and often require the collaboration of multiple teams across Icon to ensure an appropriate response.”
At Icon, we are helping set cybersecurity industry benchmarks through their work at Icon.
“At Icon, we are implementing comprehensive cybersecurity mixed with a patient-centric approach, striving for operational excellence and patient safety,” Marc said.
“We go beyond mere compliance with regulations, as compliance represents just the minimum level of security and still falls victim to cyber incidents – so we continuously assess and uplift our security measures to create a secure environment.
“The integrity of our systems is essential for safe and effective patient care and the advancement of medical knowledge – protecting the research data and intellectual property that drives innovation in cancer care and other medical fields.
“This not only fosters trust with our patients but also with our research partners and the broader healthcare community.”
Healthcare faces a unique challenge in cybersecurity: balancing security with patient care.
“Healthcare professionals need easy access to patient information to provide exceptional care, which can sometimes conflict with strict security protocols. Additionally, the high value of patient data makes our systems attractive targets for cybercriminals,” Marc explained.
To help overcome these barriers, Marc and his team have laid the framework for a more cyber-conscious industry.
“We are putting greater emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration in cybersecurity – allowing us to all help protect our patient and partner data,” Marc said.
“Working across disciplines and bringing together diverse skillsets, perspectives, and experiences leads to more comprehensive solutions that reflect the complex, interconnected world we protect.
“At Icon, the tremendous support, collaboration, and commitment from everyone across the organisation has been instrumental in driving our cybersecurity initiatives forward and ensuring we stay ahead of emerging threats.
“We are also working to embed cybersecurity into every aspect of our educational curricula to help our team members become cybersecurity-conscious, equipped to handle security considerations as a matter of routine.
“By ingraining cybersecurity into our operational ethos at Icon, we have laid a resilient groundwork, and our strengthened security measures ensure we can provide the best and safest care possible.”
To Marc, a better future for healthcare means enhanced cybersecurity measures.
“My vision for the future of cybersecurity is one of resilience, adaptability, and inclusivity,” Marc said.
“For this to come to fruition, we must adopt a proactive and adaptive approach, not just reacting to threats but anticipating and preparing for them.
“This means leveraging technologies like AI for real-time threat detection and response, ensuring robust data encryption, and implementing rigorous access controls – but we must also educate ourselves on the risks AI can bring and how we can continue to use it to our advantage.
“A continued focus on fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness among all employees is also required so they can understand their role in protecting patient data.
“Cybersecurity should not be a silo but an integral part of the organisational fabric, with professionals who are dynamic, diverse, and deeply embedded in the broader context of their work, and we are continuing to strive for that here at Icon Group.
“Together, we can all create a safer space, so we can get back to providing the best care possible with new technology and processes to help us do that.”
Marc Reinhardt was named a finalist in two categories of the Australian Cyber Security Awards 2024 – Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the Year and Cyber Security Professional of the Year – Industries, Logistics and Critical Infrastructure.
He won Cyber Security Professional of the Year – Industries, Logistics and Critical Infrastructure.
The Australian Cyber Security Awards honour outstanding contributions to the cybersecurity industry, with the winners announced on 20 June 2024.
Australian Digital Health Agency. (2022). Cyber Security Report 2022. [online] Available at: https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/cyber-security-report-2022.pdf
Icon Group is Australia’s largest dedicated cancer care provider and has expanded globally into Singapore, Mainland China, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
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