Most things in life have a good side as well as a dark side, which is why each industry needs to have a comprehensive strategy to mitigate any risks that might come up.
Let’s examine some of the cybersecurity threats in the healthcare industry and how best to reduce them.
- Remote Access Solutions
Some providers use remote-access solutions to make things easier on staff and business partners. Remote access allows employees to access data from wherever they might be when that information is needed. The best way to protect data is to make sure that these remote-access solutions are adequately monitored and safeguarded from cybersecurity criminals.
- Patient Portals
These patient portals are convenient for patients to review bills, looks up their previous medical history and view test results. Just like other remote access solutions, cybercriminals exploit these access points and look for any vulnerabilities to gain access. Again, just like the remote access solutions, you need to monitor and protect all these entrances.
- Cloud Data Centers
All data that goes to cloud data centers need protection from cybercriminals. By protected, we mean that you need to choose a cloud provider that has the level of security your company needs – for the healthcare industry, you need a top-notch cloud provider due to the amount and depth of user data that you possess.
- Internal Users
Sometimes internal users can have malicious intent on your data. We like to think the best of everyone, but the best way to combat this from happening is only to allow access to data if the employee needs it. Restricting access to sensitive data reduces the risk of an employee causing a data breach.
In addition to those problem areas, here are a few more ways to mitigate risks within the healthcare industry.
- Set up and monitor a series of layered firewalls to catch web attacks
- Implement a network detection system that quickly detects anomalies and responds to those threats
- College, aggregate, and analyze log data to identify potential risks
- Secure I.T. solutions running in the cloud
- Monitor your network for unusual events – internal and external access requests
- Educate your staff on technology practices and procedures, so they know how to respond in the event of a breach
In today’s world, security threats are a matter of when not if. Be sure that you put your organization in the best possible place to protect your data. Networks Unlimited can provide you the guidance and tools you need to protect your organization, be it healthcare or any other industry. Contact us today to get started.