EDITOR ’ S COMMENT
Collaboration in healthcare driving attention to security
One ! This is the number of opportunities a cybercriminal needs to exploit healthcare network vulnerabilities , steal passwords , install malware , and ultimately work their way through the entire IT ecosystem . Once inside , they could hijack control of medical equipment , gain access to patient data , and much more , ultimately putting patient lives and organisational reputation on the line .
The shift towards deploying and managing a more patient-friendly healthcare environment that includes the myriad of devices being accessed by patients and employees can be very challenging , especially when it comes to endpoint security .
Let us take a closer look at the role endpoint security plays in today ’ s healthcare environment , and why it needs to be part of the larger network security puzzle .
Healthcare providers of all types are now being required to provide platforms that allow for seamless communication and collaboration between key stakeholders . As a result , information that needs to be securely shared and stored is now flowing at an increasingly rapid rate , and in many different directions , creating a need for security solutions that can support these exchanges .
This move towards patient-centric network services has decentralised the monitoring process and resulted in patients , providers , and other stakeholders accessing information that originates from outside the hospital ’ s physical walls .
The more information accessed and shared outside the hospital setting , the
Alain Penel is Regional Vice President Middle East at Fortinet
greater the risk of malicious content working its way inside . While some healthcare systems are adjusting to these changes by employing endpoint security and robust security solutions , there are still a number of organisations that have left the doors to their data wide open . Endpoint security is critical to keeping the patient and other stakeholders ’ data secure .
The growing number of connected devices used by employees in the healthcare sector is leading to more information sharing , but it is also placing the endpoint at greater risk than ever before . It is very common to see smartphones , tablets , and laptops being used inside today ’ s hospitals , and the data that is being accessed needs to be secured , from the Internet to the endpoint .
This data often contains sensitive medical information that is being shared between healthcare professionals , including medical imaging data , transcriptions , prescriptions , and more , and typically needs to be vetted by a number of different individuals - physicians , employers , claims processors , others to determine protocols and procedures .
This need for a collaborative digital workspace to enable internal and external collaboration makes it critical that endpoint security be taken seriously . Without appropriate endpoint security solutions in place , healthcare systems will not be able to enhance their existing systems and processes without an overabundance of risk .
Solely deploying security end to end is simply not enough in today ’ s healthcare industry , as it lacks two key components – integration and automation . Endpoint security , today and in the future , needs to be part of a much larger security framework that can work together with other security elements , like threat intelligence .
From inside the network to the cloud , powerful and integrated end-to-end solutions need to protect the attack surface at all points along the kill chain . When different security sensors and tools are able to work together to collect , analyse , and coordinate a response to threats , the entire healthcare environment will be better protected . Security solutions must be ready and able to deal with the sophisticated threats of today in real time .
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