Compliance Professionals Surveyed Name Cybersecurity and Social Media Top Compliance Concerns

By Kelly A. Briganti, Editorial Director, G2 Intelligence

Cybersecurity is a top compliance concern according to a survey of compliance professionals conducted by Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE). In January 2016, HCCA and SCCE surveyed 900 individuals, suggesting 38 potential compliance issues and asking them to pick no more than 10 in answer to the question: “What are the hot topics in compliance you will be focusing on in 2016?” Those surveyed included compliance professionals from many different sectors, including health care.

The results revealed that cybersecurity and cybercrime were the top concern from survey respondents overall. For health care respondents cybersecurity and cybercrime ranked second, behind another internet-related issue—social media compliance risks. The SCCE and HCCA report on the survey reveals the top five responses identified by respondents overall and grouped by employer type. For health care companies other issues making the top five were: “More effective internal investigations,” False claims enforcement, and “Creating/Maintaining an ethical culture.” For small entities, nonprofits and privately held businesses, cybersecurity and social media compliance risks were most frequently cited issues. Respondents at larger and publicly traded companies, however, placed cybersecurity risks behind third party risks and leveraging compliance to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

In 2014, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that the health care industry wasn’t prepared for cyber risks. Cybersecurity was also named by health care attorneys interviewed by G2 Compliance Advisor about the top 10 compliance issues facing laboratories and pathology groups in 2016.