Biotech firms, holding sensitive data such as patient genomes and drug formulas, are prime targets for cyberattacks due to their high value. Cybercriminals can exploit such data for financial gain, leading to risks that include compromised patient safety and legal penalties. Biotech penetration testing is crucial to safeguard against these threats, simulating attacks to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in systems critical to research and patient data. Affected: Biotech firms, genomics companies, precision medicine sectors, healthcare, research institutions.
Keypoints :
- Biotech and genomics firms store sensitive data, making them targets for cyberattacks.
- Cybercriminals can profit more from genomic data than from credit card information on the black market.
- Major breaches could disrupt research, delay drug development, and threaten patient safety.
- Biotech companies face stringent regulations like HIPAA and GDPR, essential for data protection.
- Recent cyber incidents include the COVID-19 vaccine trial disruption and 23andMe data breach.
- Biotech penetration testing is a specialized evaluation of cybersecurity tailored to biotech environments.
- It covers genomic databases, cloud-based research platforms, AI/ML models, lab IoT devices, and clinical trial data systems.
- Threat modeling in biotech assesses unique attack vectors related to genomic and healthcare data.
- Simulated attacks include testing cloud security, web applications, and medical IoT devices.
- Post-testing reports detail vulnerabilities, regulatory impacts, and actionable recommendations for improving security.
- Regular penetration testing is essential for protecting biotech innovations and maintaining compliance.
- Companies are urged to act promptly to safeguard against potential breaches and financial losses.