Four Cybersecurity Weak Spots You Should Care About When Others Don't

The increased traffic and access to data increases the likelihood of a breach if sufficient controls are not in place on the device or within the app. Connecting apps together and sharing data between them also presents many security issues that must be resolved in the development process. A strong expectation of vendors to uphold your security requirements as well as reviews of their Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC) programs are important parts of making application purchase decisions.

Internet of Things (IoT) Leakage

IoT devices are entering healthcare at an increasing rate. Many of these devices lack needed encryption or have potential fail points that can be exploited by crafty cybercriminals. In order to make certain that patients’ data (and the patients themselves) are safe from this type of leakage requires a set of security standards that the industry doesn’t yet have. Without standards these devices will continue to be developed in isolation, which only increases the chances that proprietary code can’t be efficiently monitored by cybersecurity professionals. I’ve long advocated for standards for data exchange, but similar attention needs to be paid to security. If you can’t monitor devices consistently and appropriately they’ll easily become revolving doors for cybercriminals to enter your organization.

Government Involvement

An increasing number of public sector cyberattacks have hastened the cybersecurity conversation by legislators and investigative agencies— that’s very promising. More than ever, it’s time for the government to work with the healthcare industry in a collaboration that can help to reduce cyber risks. Together we can look at the problem holistically, and put practices in place that support each other while identifying criminals and appropriately penalizing them. Recently there has been media chatter about the new administration’s thoughts on cybersecurity for the nation; healthcare needs to hold its place at the table, making sure that security policy helps rather than hampers healthcare organizations.

See Also: Cybersecurity Companies

Whether or not the Accountable Care Act is dismantled in the coming months won’t significantly change cybersecurity in healthcare. The need to protect the massive amounts of data with which we are entrusted has always been and remains critical. In the past, decisions about cybersecurity were largely made in the data center, but today those decisions are more often guided by board expectations and overall risk tolerance. As the industry continues to look for ways to increase access to safe, quality care, technology will be a major player. That’s why it’s important for healthcare CIOs and CISOs to educate other executives, employees, and consumers about the importance of a sound cybersecurity strategy that monitors, detects, and mitigates the risk of cyberattack. Cybersecurity is a collaborative effort that involves IT, the business, the patient, caregivers, and the government. If we can educate and promote best practices amongst those players, than we’re likely to continue moving healthcare forward, increasing access and safety while decreasing costs. Failure to create secure processes and systems will only continue to increase costs and risk, and reduce access.