Cyber threats are one of the most significant strategic risks facing healthcare organizations today. As medical facilities embrace connected technologies to improve care, they also increase vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to steal data or disrupt operations.
According to my experience as a cybersecurity expert, the healthcare industry faces unique challenges when it comes to protecting against emerging threats. Many hospitals and clinics rely on outdated software and devices that lack modern security features. They also deal with constrained budgets and a lack of IT security skills.
Nonetheless, healthcare organizations cannot afford to ignore or downplay cyber risks. With data breaches costing an average of $9.23 million each, proactive security has become an imperative.
In this article, I’ll use my decade of experience in cybersecurity to provide healthcare leaders with:
- An overview of the importance of cybersecurity in healthcare
- 7 Key industry-specific security challenges
- 10 Best practices to implement robust defense
- A blueprint for building a healthcare cybersecurity program
Let‘s get started.
Why Cybersecurity Matters for Healthcare
Healthcare entities are prime targets for hackers because of the wealth of sensitive data they handle. Medical records contain financial information, SSNs, treatment history, prescriptions and more – everything fraudsters need for identity theft and other crimes.
Some key reasons robust security is crucial:
Patient Trust and Safety
- 78% of patients would switch providers if their data is breached, per Accenture research.
- Healthcare cyber attacks directly endanger patient wellbeing and privacy.
Data Protection
- 1 in 3 healthcare organizations have had data stolen, according to Bitglass.
- Breaches enable fraud and can facilitate dangerous counterfeit drugs.
Continuity of Care
- Attacks against medical devices and critical hospital infrastructure can disrupt patient care.
- In 2020, ransomware led to a patient dying in a German hospital.
Regulatory Compliance
- Healthcare faces regulations like HIPAA and HITECH mandating data protection.
- Breaches can result in fines of $50,000+ per violation.
Cost Avoidance
- Data breaches cost healthcare firms $9.23 million on average.
- This is more than double the cross-industry average of $4.24 million.
With cyber threats only growing more sophisticated, healthcare organizations cannot afford to de-prioritize security. It is foundational to providing quality patient care in today‘s digitized healthcare environment.
Top 7 Healthcare Cybersecurity Challenges
While strong security is critical, healthcare organizations face some unique obstacles that make cybersecurity an uphill climb:
1. Legacy Systems and Tech Stack Complexity
Most hospitals have built up complex tech stacks with many legacy systems, dating back over decades in some cases. These outdated platforms lack modern security capabilities but are difficult to replace or remove.
According to KLAS research, 40% of providers run unsupported Windows servers vulnerable to attacks. And 30% use outdated Windows 7 systems past end of life.
2. Talent Shortage
The healthcare industry is expected to face a shortfall of 2.72 million cybersecurity professionals globally by 2030, per (ISC)2. Hiring and retaining experts is challenging.
3. Lack of Security Funding
63% of hospital executives say cybersecurity is underfunded today, as per Healthcare Info Security. Limited budgets make it tough to make strategic upgrades.
4. Lack of Cybersecurity Awareness Among Users
Doctors, nurses and care providers often lack training in basics like secure passwords, email hygiene, principles of access etc. Their practices weaken security.
5. Complex Third Party Ecosystem
Vendors, contractors and partners form a complex ecosystem that expands the attack surface for healthcare entities.
6. Prioritizing Care Over Security
Physicians sometimes override security controls when they hinder rapid emergency care – highlighting the tradeoffs between access and security.
7. Lack of Actionable Threat Intelligence
Only 38% of healthcare security professionals feel they have adequate context for cyber threats, per SANS Institute. Data to prioritize risks is lacking.
These interlocking challenges make honing cyber defenses a demanding task for healthcare organizations. But with focus and organization-wide engagement, they can be overcome.
10 Best Practices for Healthcare Cybersecurity
With the right strategy, healthcare entities can implement robust protections despite their constraints. Here are 10 essential cybersecurity best practices for the industry:
1. Perform Regular Risk Assessments
Frequently assess your infrastructure, data, vendors and users to know vulnerabilities. This allows smarter resource allocation.
2. Implement Strong Access Controls
Enforce multi-factor authentication, role-based access and remote device management to limit system/data access.
3. Provide Ongoing Cybersecurity Training
Educate your staff continuously about latest threats, social engineering, safe internet use, password hygiene and related topics.
4. Encrypt and Backup Sensitive Data
Utilize data encryption, hashing and backups to protect patient information against unauthorized access or loss.
5. Monitor Systems Closely
Deploy SIEM, analytics and centralized log management to monitor networks, endpoints and behavior for signs of threats.
6. Enforce Security Across Vendors/Contractors
Mandate all third parties comply with your security standards. Include clauses in contracts. Audit regularly.
7. Develop Detailed Incident Response Plans
Define, document and regularly test protocols to contain, investigate and remediate cyber incidents.
8. Keep Systems Patched and Updated
Automate patching of software, firmware and OS vulnerabilities. Quickly implement security fixes.
9. Invest in Specialized Security Tools
Deploy healthcare-specific tools for securing medical devices, patient tracking, data integration and more.
10. Promote Security Culture
Underscore employee cyber safety through workplace initiatives. Lead by example from the top-down.
The key is to take a multilayered approach addressing security across people, devices, networks, data, applications and vendors.
While challenging, consistent focus on these best practices will significantly uplift healthcare cybersecurity.
Blueprint for a Healthcare Cybersecurity Program
Alongside adopting controls, healthcare providers need to build comprehensive cybersecurity programs encompassing management, strategic planning and coordination.
Here is a step-by-step blueprint:
Step 1) Get Leadership Buy-In
Make a business case for security investment with risk analysis data. Get management onboard.
Step 2) Appoint a Security Leader
Appoint a qualified CISO or similar leadership role to coordinate security.
Step 3) Do Risk and Gap Analysis
Assess infrastructure, data, systems, vendors etc. to know vulnerabilities.
Step 4) Create a Security Strategy and Roadmap
Define security vision, priorities, budget, roles/responsibilities, controls etc.
Step 5) Implement Security Controls
Roll out access controls, encryption, analytics, backups etc. per roadmap.
Step 6) Develop Policies and Procedures
Define specific protocols and policies for data handling, patching, access control, etc.
Step 7) Conduct Awareness and Training
Educate all healthcare personnel regularly about latest threats and security practices.
Step 8) Monitor Data and Systems
Detect threats early via SIEM, analytics, centralized logging etc.
Step 9) Test Incident Response Plans
Run drills to validate you can contain cyber incidents and resume operations quickly.
Step 10) Report on Compliance and Metrics
Track security KPIs in areas like patching, encryption, training completion etc.
This blueprint provides a structured approach to maturing healthcare cybersecurity in a sustainable way. While it takes time, the long-term payoff is substantial.
Key Takeaways for Healthcare Security Leaders
Based on my experience, here are top takeaways for security leaders seeking to enhance healthcare cybersecurity:
Make Security a Strategic Priority: Elevate cybersecurity as a core strategic initiative with backing from senior management. Arm them with compelling risk data.
Invest in Technology and Talent: Allocate sufficient budget to hire specialized skills, retire legacy systems, and fund continuous upgrades.
Emphasize Cyber Education: Prioritize user education and developing secure internet habits among your healthcare workforce.
Customize Security for Healthcare: Account for specialized medical systems, IoT, patient access needs etc. when designing controls.
Take a Proactive Stance: Stay on top of emerging threats through collaboration with peers, governments and the cybersecurity community.
The bottom line is healthcare organizations can implement robust, customized security by rallying organization-wide engagement, allocating sufficient resources, and taking a long-term, proactive approach.
Conclusion and Key Recommendations
Cyber risks directly undermine patient safety and the delivery of quality healthcare. As data breaches cost $9.23 million on average, security merits serious investment.
Through strong leadership, strategic planning, technology deployment and workforce training, healthcare organizations can implement tailored security to manage risks.
My top recommendations for healthcare security leaders are:
- Perform regular risk assessments to know vulnerabilities.
- Implement strong access controls and encryption to safeguard data.
- Provide continuous workforce training to combat social engineering and threats.
- Develop detailed incident response and disaster recovery plans.
- Monitor infrastructure closely via tools like SIEM for early threat detection.
- Foster an organizational culture where every employee has cyber safety top of mind.
While the path to better healthcare cybersecurity has obstacles, it is navigable with executive guidance, adequate resourcing and a sound strategy. By rallying their organizations to make security a collective priority, healthcare‘s leaders can uplift protections and deliver safer care.
I hope these evidence-based insights on strengthening healthcare cybersecurity help security leaders tackle pressing threats. Please feel free to reach out if you need any additional details as you formulate your security roadmap. I‘d be glad to provide guidance based on my decade of professional cybersecurity experience.