Google to provide cybersecurity tools for California’s health benefits system

California’s health insurance marketplace, Covered California, is partnering with Google Security Operations to provide cybersecurity protections for CalHEERS, the State of California’s health benefits exchange system, the cloud provider announced at an event Wednesday.

Google Security Operations will provide the platform with threat detection, incident response, and security analytics that can help protect CALHEERS’ sensitive patient data and operating systems.

“Cybersecurity is a top priority for Covered California, and we are committed to ensuring the security and integrity of our CalHEERS system and our consumers’ personal information,” Kevin Cornish, Covered California’s chief information officer, said in a press release.

Google announced the news at its Public Sector Summit in Washington, D.C., an event produced by Scoop News Group.

California’s purchase of security products comes as health care, one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors in the United States, is becoming a more frequent target for cyberattacks.

In February, Change Healthcare, a major healthcare payment processing company, suffered a ransomware attack by the hacking group ALPHV/BlackCat, which compromised sensitive data, including personal information, payment details and insurance records of 500 patients, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The incident also disrupted health care billing and payment operations, making it difficult for hospitals, pharmacies and physician practices across the country to submit claims or receive payments.

Covered California also uses Google’s Document AI, a document processing platform that helps simplify complex health data for California residents.