PHARMACY owners and managers are being urged to invest in multiple layers of defence against growing threats of cyber attacks, including specialist insurance cover.
With an average of 164 cyber crime reports being made each day in Australia, pharmacy insurance specialist, Carollo Horton CEO, Giuseppe Carollo, warned pharmacies were far from immune to attack.
"Pharmacies storing sensitive and personal customer information, now using e-prescriptionsand My Health Record, they are at increased risk of cyber attacks and data breaches," he said.
"If a cyber attack takes place, pharmacies may not be able to access personal computers, [may be] unable to dispense, make online PharmaceuticalBenefits Scheme(PBS) claims, order stock or even use their point of sale (POS) to sell stock."
Carollo warned pharmacy owners that their obligation to notify both the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and their customers about data breaches, could cause significant reputational damage to their businesses.
He told Pharmacy Daily that there has been an increase in the number of pharmacies taking out cyber insurance policies since the beginning of the year.
Carollo added that cyber insurance combined with strong IT infrastructure was key to helping pharmacies respond quickly to attacks.
"It should be part of a pharmacy risk management plan and is very cost effective," he said.
"Cyber insurance works alongside a pharmacy's IT support provider to replace compromised PC's, manage damage to a pharmacy's reputation, assist with any breach reporting and looks at reimbursing any out-of-pocket costs."
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