Skip to Content

Health Sector Coordinating Council Cybersecurity Working Group Asks NIST for Guidance Specific to Small and Lesser-Resourced Entities

The Health Sector Coordinating Council Cybersecurity Working Group has asked the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to provide guidance for small and lesser-sourced healthcare organizations. The request comes in response to NIST’s request for comment on SP 800-66r2 initial public draft; it asks NIST to “create an entirely separate document specifically for small and mid-sized entities that expresses in plain English why practicing good cyber hygiene is imperative for compliance, business operations and, ultimately care delivery and patient safety.”

Note

  • The HSCC’s comments mainly focus on NIST making sure that, to aid smaller healthcare organizations, SP 800-66 reference the resources produced by the 405(d) program that is a collaboration between HHS and private industry. Good idea – many of these are aimed at getting the basics across to smaller businesses impacted by HIPAA. On the security controls side, the Center for Internet Security Critical Security Controls has resources for smaller entities and how Implementation Group 1 of the Controls reaches the essential security hygiene level including mapping to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
  • The risk is having too many guidance documents. It’s better to include a tailored approach for controls, such as with SP 800-53, with appropriate guidance on how different factors, such as size, are to do that. Then you’re more likely to be on the same page with regulators about the path you followed to implement needed controls.

Read more in

Alex Lim is a certified IT Technical Support Architect with over 15 years of experience in designing, implementing, and troubleshooting complex IT systems and networks. He has worked for leading IT companies, such as Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco, providing technical support and solutions to clients across various industries and sectors. Alex has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and a master’s degree in information security from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also the author of several best-selling books on IT technical support, such as The IT Technical Support Handbook and Troubleshooting IT Systems and Networks. Alex lives in Bandar, Johore, Malaysia with his wife and two chilrdren. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Website | Twitter | Facebook

    Ads Blocker Image Powered by Code Help Pro

    Your Support Matters...

    We run an independent site that is committed to delivering valuable content, but it comes with its challenges. Many of our readers use ad blockers, causing our advertising revenue to decline. Unlike some websites, we have not implemented paywalls to restrict access. Your support can make a significant difference. If you find this website useful and choose to support us, it would greatly secure our future. We appreciate your help. If you are currently using an ad blocker, please consider disabling it for our site. Thank you for your understanding and support.