Tech Journal The State of Healthcare Sector Security
By Scott Ellis / 14 Dec 2020
By Scott Ellis / 14 Dec 2020
Healthcare and technology are inextricably intertwined. Take the following examples, for instance:
These only just scratch the surface.
It's often said that data is the lifeblood of a business; in the case of healthcare, this is especially true. Given the wealth of Protected Health Information (PHI) and sensitive data gathered, stored and used by healthcare applications, it comes as no surprise that healthcare is the top industry affected by cyberattacks and security breaches.
Healthcare is the number one industry affected by cyberattacks and security breaches.
IoT endpoints are open to attack, healthcare workers aren't always up to date on effective protocol, legacy systems continue running without patches or updates, and all the while, cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated.
According to the Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP) guidelines, CISA 405(d) Task Group, of which Insight Cloud + Data Center Transformation is a member, the top five threats common to the healthcare industry are:
In fact, healthcare is so much at risk that Cybersecurity Ventures predicts this industry will suffer 2-3x more cyberattacks in 2021 than the average predicted amount for other industries. Healthcare is the leading industry under attack from ransomware and estimates project the cost of ransomware to exceed $20 billion in 2021.
It's clear that the healthcare sector has to evolve its approach to security to safeguard patient privacy and safety, to maintain compliance, and to protect the revenue and reputation of individual organizations.
The HICP provides guidance for organizations looking to manage threats and secure patients with technical guides encompassing the 10 most effective cybersecurity practices. These practices are designed to mitigate the top five common threats to healthcare:
While this list is helpful, moving from identifying a recommended approach to effectively implementing it is a complex endeavor many healthcare organizations simply aren't equipped to undertake.
A simpler way for healthcare organizations to improve security with minimal headache and maximum effectiveness is by trusting a healthcare security services partner like Insight.
Insight's security strategies for healthcare tightly align with the list above, providing a full suite of security services and technologies (hardware and software) administered by experts. Our teams are dedicated to helping organizations prevent and mitigate cybersecurity threats with a strong security posture that meets regulatory and compliance requirements.
Governance, risk and compliance services
These services ensure compliance with regulations and standards such as HIPAA/HITECH/HITRUST, NIST, ISO and PCI DSS. Healthcare security teams benefit from the knowledge and expertise of former healthcare Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and industry experts to ensure compliance with the most rigorous industry standards.
Thorough assessments
Our Comprehensive Risk Assessment is based on HIPAA/HITECH requirements and includes robust underlying security controls from NIST and HITRUST. Our teams audit all security practices to identify weaknesses and build a prioritized roadmap for a stronger security environment.
Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning services
A broad range of testing options is available to help organizations uncover costly risks and vulnerabilities within the security environment.
On-premises and cloud services
From security consulting and design to implementation and operationalizing services, our teams can handle security needs both on premises and in the cloud.
Managed security services and operational support
With the right services that span tasks such as security reporting and analysis, security threat management and managed cloud, healthcare organizations can properly support their internal teams.
Security controls services
Our security experts are well-versed in delivering consultation, design, architecture, implementation and optimization of security measures specifically designed for highly regulated and mission-critical healthcare environments.
Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO)
A unique service provided by Insight, the vCISO program provides executive-level strategic consulting, leadership and guidance, as well as tactical and strategic security program planning, delivered by a healthcare-experienced CISO.
Proactive and reactive Incident Response (IR) services
Incident response services cover pre- and post-incident services, as well as remediation support for dealing with the repercussions of an active threat or ongoing incident. Services include tabletop exercises, IR plan development and an IR retainer service that ensures immediate, effective support in case of an incident.
Today's healthcare leaders are experiencing a major shift in the way healthcare is conceived, perceived and delivered. Healthcare experts are often reliant on other players to protect their practices and patients from cybersecurity threats. The best recipe for success is to trust experts in the field of healthcare security — like those delivering Insight's solutions for healthcare security.
Security Consulting Practice Lead for Healthcare & Federal, Insight
Scott is a security consulting practice lead with Insight Cloud + Data Center Transformation. A former three time Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) with 10+ years of expertise in the healthcare industry and 20+ years in the federal sector, he’s a seasoned CISO/senior information security professional with practical experience building security programs from the ground up.
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