Seventeenth International Conference on Technology, Knowledge, and Society

Abstract

Information security (IS) events are a growing threat in the health system in general, and hospitals in particular. Compared to other systems which are experienced in coping with IS threats, the health system is dragging behind in this regard and, as of late, finds itself investing considerable amounts of resources in order to protect its assets. However, hospitals are by nature complex, technologically laden and open to internal conflicts and regulatory pressure. These all hinder the development of an effective IS defense system (Jalali & Kaiser, 2018). Advanced technologies, such as The Internet of Things and Big Data, have changed the way large organizations, including health groups, contend with IS – which have become highly indubitable and even life threatening (Blobel et al., 2016; Islam et al., 2015). This study aims to clearly map the IS and privacy preservation issues present in hospitals, with an emphasis on the existence of advanced technologies (such as, the Internet of Things), which if damaged may endanger patients and medical staff. In this framework, we carry out in-depth interviews with hospital information system administrators, in order to examine their position regarding IS challenges and the existing solutions. Furthermore, the interviews serve as a basis for the construction of quantitative questionnaires, for exploring patient and medical staff IS awareness regarding the dangers posed to their personal information stored upon the hospital systems, and regarding their coping methods.