With rapid adoption in digital Health care Services by both healthcare providers as well as consumers, Healthcare Cyber Security Has become an area of primary concern and investment, as opposed to the latter idea. Today, healthcare organizations actively use secure infrastructure and state-of-the-art systems to securely store and process patients’ health data.
Advances in healthcare technology allow providers to send improved diagnostics and patient outcomes, ultimately giving patients better care and recovery. However, with the increasing reliance on technology, healthcare cyber security has become just as important as attacks against healthcare organizations are increasing with rapid digitization.
Here, we look at key healthcare safety trends that will be an active part of technical roadmaps
1. Multi-factor authentication
Taking security a step further, healthcare providers will focus on secure password prompts to strengthen multi-factor authentication by authenticators, multiple sign-up prompts on all devices and tighten their digital vaults. Strong passwords can help but still make the user vulnerable to attacks.
Multi-factor authentication can make this attack harder. After the password-only era, 2FA, i.e., two-factor authentication, was the most desired security method. Today, for providers with access to multi-factor authentication, dual-factor authentication through physical tokens, soft tokens, and smartphone prompts can be beneficial.
2. Biometric Security + Secure Access Service Age (SASE) solutions
Over the next 3-5 years, biometric security will play an active role in adding a level of cyber security to the healthcare organization’s cyber security protocol. It will not only help them manage identity management and access, but it will also provide seamless clinical experience to employees and organizations – ultimately improving the quality of healthcare as well as safety. Biometric touchpoints will act as a barrier, protecting providers from attackers seeking immediate access to sensitive medical data.
SASE is an emerging enterprise strategy that combines a variety of secure remote access, on-premises, cloud-based and online resources to provide cyber security solutions.
3.Medical device safety and regulations
Since the COVID-19 epidemic, medical devices such as pulse oximeters and heart rate trackers have become commonplace in homes. Patients who manage the disease at home also use infusion pumps, implanted pacemakers and insulin pumps through the Internet to log and maintain their health records. In addition, related IoT devices should be developed and updated with user data security in mind. This data creation is equally susceptible to hacking when giving cybercriminals sensitive information about the patient, which could be used against them. Health information includes name, social security number, medical history, treatment and diagnosis and other personal data. This is where the rules come in. As more and more medical devices connect to the Internet, an umbrella policy will help organizations secure data by strengthening it to store the data generated in a secure environment. The standardization of protocols and operating environments will also be helpful for healthcare providers.
4.Payment innovations
As consumers turn to online payments, patients and medical care providers will want to experience the same seamless and contactless payment options on their healthcare providers as they do with other services. Given this choice, healthcare providers should use a data-driven approach to enhance the payment process and their own financial prospects. The healthcare industry will continue to invest in modern data and analytics tools, artificial intelligence capabilities and digital platforms in 2022 and beyond. Maintaining transaction security and verifying client identity will become more important than ever as new payment trends like UPI, mobile wallets and payments and contactless card payments come into the mainstream.
5. Securing electronic health record systems
The Electronic Health Records (EHRs) system collects and digitally records a patient’s entire medical history. It allows seamless data sharing between professionals, providers and carers for maximum patient benefit. However, it has also made cybercrime more prevalent. Now, the EHR must be carefully monitored to ensure the safety of patients and their personal information. Medical privacy laws should also provide guidance for the management of patient information for higher security.
Healthcare organizations can enhance their cyber security measures by protecting infrastructure, patching vulnerabilities, and updating systems. They should raise awareness by training their staff and contractors in the best cyber security practices as well as trends to make them aware of the risks. With proper diligence and standard data handling, healthcare providers can ensure minimal damage and maximum preparedness.
Subho Haldar, co-founder and CISO at Apnox
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