The HIMSS Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) is a valuable framework designed to help healthcare organizations assess their cybersecurity posture and gradually improve their capabilities to defend against cyber threats. It’s not a set of rigid regulations but rather a roadmap for progression through five levels of maturity:
Level 1. Reactive—Basic security measures exist, but reactive incident response dominates. It focuses on addressing immediate threats after they occur.
Level 2. Proactive—Risk management practices are established, identifying vulnerabilities and potential threats. This level focuses on prevention and mitigation before incidents occur.
Level 3. Advanced—Robust security controls, including data protection, access control, and incident response plans, are implemented. This level focuses on continuous monitoring and improvement.
Level 4. Optimized—Cybersecurity is integrated into organizational culture and processes. Proactive threat intelligence and automated responses are utilized. The focus is on resilience and adaptation to evolving threats.
Level 5. Transformative—Cybersecurity becomes a competitive advantage, enabling innovation and agile responses to emerging threats. It focuses on thought leadership and setting industry standards.
The framework has been designed by HIMMS, or the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, a global non-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare through information technology.