D I S S E C T I N G B U S I N E S S
Ram Narayanan , Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies , Middle East over the last six months . The severity of such attacks cannot be emphasised enough , as they can result in life and death consequences . In fact , a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute found that more than 20 % of healthcare organisations reported an increase in patient mortality rates after experiencing a breach .
The healthcare sector is vulnerable for several reasons . Firstly , the increased sophistication and quantity of cyberattacks is not a threat
If not properly managed , any device that has access to a network is a gateway for cybercriminals to all connected devices . This problem has multiplied with hybrid and remote working practices and a proliferation of personal mobile devices being used to access medical data in email and Microsoft 365 .
2 . Visibility and segmentation : It is impossible to successfully secure a network without understanding all the assets it contains . Having a comprehensive view , including cloud and data centre assets , will expose any weaknesses , such as possible unpatched security updates or devices that have outdated firmware . Once the network is mapped , strategies such as segmentation can be implemented – which creates virtual internal barriers that prevent cyberattackers from moving laterally and causing widespread damage .
3 . Consolidated security is now a musthave : With email continuing to be the number one threat vector , followed closely by vulnerabilities and misconfigurations , a strategy of implementing multiple singlepoint solutions is no longer adequate protection . Security operations need full end-to-end visibility , fewer false positives and absolute confidence that all vectors these companies are set up to deal with . Many hospitals rely on a blend of old and new technologies , most of which are either not directly managed or forgotten due to improper documentation . This problem has only increased over time as more IoT and medical devices are added , despite rarely being built securely by design and worrying not being actively managed by the IT team . The current cybersecurity skills shortage also means there ' s a lack of expertise to help manage this widening attack surface .
Despite these challenges , there are technologies and strategies that can help protect healthcare providers . Here are five key elements that every organisation should follow to ensure maximum security :
1 . Communication : ' A chain is only as strong as its weakest link '. Companies need to educate employees on how to stay secure .
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