EFLM Task Force Preparation of Labs for Emergencies (TF-PLE) recommendations for reinforcing cyber-security and managing cyberattacks in medical laboratories

The healthcare systems are a prime target for cyber-attacks due to the sensitive nature of the information combined with the essential need for continuity of care. Medical laboratories are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks for a number of reasons, including the high level of information technology (IT), computerization and digitization. Based on reliable and widespread evidence that medical laboratories may be inadequately prepared for cyberterrorism, a panel of experts of the Task Force Preparation of Labs for Emergencies (TF-PLE) of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) has recognized the need to provide some general guidance that could help medical laboratories to be less vulnerable and better prepared for the dramatic circumstance of a disruptive cyberattack, issuing a number of consensus recommendations, which are summarized and described in this opinion paper.