The AHA today urged Congress to provide law enforcement and other appropriate agencies with the resources to investigate cyber attacks and proactively prevent them.

In a statement shared with members of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for a hearing on public-private partnerships for cybersecurity in health care, AHA noted, “A variety of private organizations have been formed to facilitate information sharing and proactively prevent cyber attacks. Such efforts have been effective and should receive ongoing support and encouragement to develop actionable information and tools. Hospitals and health care providers also work with a variety of federal agencies and law enforcement to respond to and prevent cyber attacks. Law enforcement should be given the resources necessary to share information proactively, to conduct investigations and to assist victims and targets, particularly those who are most vulnerable."

The statement went on to argue that those who are attacked should be given assistance, not face penalties.

"The field also is actively regulated through the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Security Rule and related enforcement actions. Although attacks will occasionally succeed, the victims should be given support and not be presumed to have been at fault.”