E D I T O R ' S Q U E S T I O N
KEIRON HOLYOME
VICE PRESIDENT , AI CYBER SECURITY , UKI & EMERGING MARKETS , BLACKBERRY
To prevent attacks , healthcare organisations must ensure that cybersecurity protection covers every endpoint , from mobile devices to IoT-connected medical tools like ventilators or robotic surgery equipment . Many departments will be running outdated , possibly unsupported , technologies , some systems may run offline or with infrequent connectivity – everything requires the same high level of protection to defend against the daily onslaught of attacks .
AI-based threat prevention is a must for rigorous security in this kind of complex environment as it allows organisations to detect and respond to potential threats in real-time , mitigating risks before they significantly impact patient care .
A lesser appreciated impact of cyberattacks is that normal communications channels are no longer available to alert , inform and advise all the different stakeholder groups .
In such situations , a robust critical event management ( CEM ) system allows for fast and secure communication of a single source of truth to reassure and update staff , patients , management teams on temporary measures and steps to bring systems securely back online .
Organisations equipped with this capability to alert at pace and deploy response teams quickly are better prepared to respond to – and recover from – critical events faster . This ensures healthcare services can resume with minimal disruption , preserving the quality of patient care essential during critical events .
The NHS ’ current crackdown on staff using consumer messaging apps , like WhatsApp , is a positive move to safeguard sensitive communications and documents from bad actors and hostile nation-states that seek to bring down critical infrastructure .
With this , individual NHS Trusts can take control into their own hands , with trusted tech solutions that offer collaborative user experience and defencegrade security , end-to-end encryption and protection inside and outside of their firewall .
Secure communication channels are essential for healthcare organisations to protect sensitive patient information . Leveraging encrypted messaging solutions alongside a robust CEM system can facilitate rapid and secure information sharing , enabling them to respond effectively to cyberthreats while maintaining quality patient care .
With an effective AI-powered defence and a secure out-of-band communications system , organisations can thwart threat actors from creating the disruption they seek .
Fostering a security-first culture among healthcare staff can also reduce human errors that contribute to attacks .
This layered approach fortifies technical systems and empowers workforces to be the first line of defence in safeguarding patient care .
26 www . intelligenthealth . tech