We're All in This Together: Cybersecurity Awareness for Health Center Communities HITEQ Center, July 2026 HITEQ Admin / Friday, July 31, 2026 0 969 This resource describes the importance of and novel approaches to developing, launching, and maintaining a unified cybersecurity awareness campaign directed toward staff, patients, and partners/vendors. Read more
Addressing Cybersecurity Threats in Health Centers Addressing Cybersecurity Threats in Health Centers HITEQ Center, June 2025 Maddie Bishop-Harris / Monday, June 9, 2025 0 10411 This article uses the 2020 incident at the Family Health Center of Worcester (FHCW) to explore innovative strategies to bolster health centers' cybersecurity, including leveraging group purchasing organizations (GPOs) for discounted solutions and implementing bug bounty programs to proactively strengthen systems. Ultimately, it investigates how these approaches can protect vital community health resources from the escalating tide of cyber threats. Read more
Health Center Emergency Response Exercise Set Health Center Emergency Response Exercise Set HITEQ Center, March 2025 Molly Rafferty / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 0 8001 The exercise cards in this set present scenarios and response-related questions designed to provide a quick (5–10 minute) method for health center staff to: Refresh knowledge of the content in their emergency and cyber incident response plans; Examine and troubleshoot procedures in their emergency and cyber incident response plans; Identify improvements to their emergency and cyber incident response plans; and Increase staff capacity to operationalize the actions outlined in their emergency and cyber incident response plans. The scenarios and questions on these cards can serve as a starting point to spark discussions amongst your team about scenarios and responses that are specific to the context of your health center (e.g., what extreme weather events are most common in your area?). The first five cases describe environmental scenarios, and the last two cases describe cybersecurity scenarios. Read more
Health Center Resilience in the Face of Cyber Adversity Health Center Resilience in the Face of Cyber Adversity A Case Study of the Family Health Center of Worcester’s Ransomware Incident, February 2024 Molly Rafferty / Wednesday, February 21, 2024 0 14736 The use of ransomware — malicious software that restricts access to computer systems with financial demands — has escalated, targeting health centers and putting countless lives at risk. This dire reality came to the forefront during the alarming ransomware attack on the Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc. (FHCW), where the personal health information and care continuity for thousands of patients were compromised. This resource uses FHCW's experience as a case study to demonstrate the imperative of preparedness and the strength of a community-centered response in ensuring the continuity of healthcare services amidst the ever-growing tide of cyber vulnerabilities. Read more
Promoting Cybersecurity Awareness for Patients Promoting Cybersecurity Awareness for Patients Protecting yourself when using patient portals, health apps, and online medical devices, June 2023 Nathan Botts / Friday, June 30, 2023 0 14151 This training guide provides patients with knowledge and awareness about cybersecurity threats to protect their personal health data and to minimize risks from computer viruses and malware. Read more