Healthcare and Public Health | South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity

Organizations that fall under the Healthcare and Public Health Sector are responsible for protecting the United States from hazards, such as:

Terrorism
Infectious disease outbreaks
Natural disasters
Cyberattacks

Most of the Healthcare and Public Health organizations in the U.S. are privately owned and operated, which makes collaboration between public and private sectors essential to fostering resilience in the sector.

SC CIC has strong relationships with many healthcare facilities from local health clinics to the complex hospital systems that serve the state. The established information sharing network of SC CIC Cyber Liaison Officers (CLOs) aligns well with the needs of the healthcare sector, enabling rapid communication of new threats encountered and collaboration between the organizations to address them with minimal impact.

SC CIC also hosted a healthcare-specific tabletop exercise that further fostered these relationships and tested each of the organizations’ capacities to respond. Additionally, the team presents regularly on the sector’s threat landscape at conferences and association meetings across the state.

Resources for the Healthcare and Public Health Sector:

South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) | Professionals

DPH works with organizations, healthcare providers, educators, and citizens to promote community health and well-being. The Professionals sub-webpage provides information and resources on health professionals, permits/regulations, public health data, and SIMON (Statewide Immunization Online Network).

Healthcare professional using a laptop computer and pad device

SC Primary Health Care Association

The South Carolina Primary Health Care Association is the principal association for the network of Community Health Centers (CHCs) in South Carolina. Focusing on community healthcare, this organization has established a network of Community Health Centers professionals through information sharing, educational opportunities, and events that help promote the improvement and continuation of community health centers in South Carolina.

Two healthcare professionals monitoring a computer controlling an MRI machine

SC Hospital Association

Comprised of approximately 100 member hospitals and health systems and 900 individual members, the South Carolina Hospital Association is an organization focused on advocating for legislative policies related to healthcare, fostering collaboration amongst their vast network of healthcare facilities and professionals, and information sharing.

Medical professional using an MRI machine.

CISA | Healthcare and Public Health Sector Webpage

CISA’s Healthcare and Public Health Sector webpage contains detailed information on what types of organizations belong to the Healthcare and Public Health Sector in the U.S. along with federal plans for the sector (Healthcare and Public Health Sector-Specific Plan) and all critical infrastructure in the country (National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)). Sector-specific plans address how the NIPP should be utilized while considering each sector’s unique perspective.

Doctor examining medical scans and holding a pad device.

Health Information Sharing & Analysis Center (H-ISAC)

Information Sharing & Analysis Centers (ISACs) help critical infrastructure professionals protect their infrastructure and employees from cybersecurity threats through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of threat information. ISACs help increase situational awareness across the critical infrastructure sectors through information sharing, partnerships, and networking opportunities.