by raj sivaraju
The Indian healthcare sector has undergone massive digital transformations in recent years. The pandemic pushed healthcare providers to strengthen their digital infrastructure and continue to serve clients even remotely. To take full advantage of these emerging digital media, healthcare institutions are increasingly adopting new-age technologies like AI, ML, and IoT.
Riding the digital wave is paramount to thriving and staying relevant in today’s competitive world. the surge of cyber security Offenses in India – AIIMS and Solar Pharmaceuticalsfor example- indicates the state of deterioration of our country’s health infrastructure and why it requires significant change cyber security improvement.
According to a new study from Check Point Research, the healthcare sector recorded the peak number of cyber incidents in 2022. The study further highlighted that most of these incidents were led by smaller, more agile threat actors and ransomware groups. This reiterates the innovative capabilities of threat actors and the need for healthcare companies to strengthen their security postures.
Medical technology devices are on the rise, with a large number of healthcare institutions using them in areas such as diagnostics and preventive and curative medicine. There is no doubt that these technologies allow our experts to bring more precision to existing processes and ensure better health outcomes. But we cannot ignore that these interconnected devices, in the absence of adequate security measures, also act as means for threat actors to break in and compromise system security.
As a result, it is more crucial than ever that healthcare institutions create a robust cybersecurity infrastructure to keep the impact of cyber incidents to a minimum. To do this, partnering with leading cybersecurity firms such as Earring Being able to perform regular security testing and risk assessment to identify and close loopholes is highly recommended. Similarly, it is also vital to monitor the mobile-optimized apps we use in our daily lives and keep them up to date to prevent security vulnerabilities on endpoints.
In addition, healthcare organizations should host educational workshops to raise cybersecurity awareness and educate the workforce on the latest cybersecurity breaches, trends, and developments. A separate task force can be created within healthcare providers to manage these workshops, allowing employees to report threats on time. Doing so will help contain cyber incidents and go a long way in keeping your business secure.
With new-age healthcare startups innovating traditional processes and mechanisms, we are bound to see increasing familiarity with technology-driven healthcare solutions in the coming times. However, underestimating its targeting capabilities would be highly unwise, given the rapid pace at which threat actors evolve.
While the measures are of paramount importance to protect healthcare providers from threat actors, it is also vital that India introduce strong cybersecurity guidelines to protect its overall healthcare ecosystem. Without a doubt, the need of the hour is a council of cyber experts that can conduct regular cybersecurity assessments, report breaches, and suggest best practices to safeguard patient records and ensure better health outcomes.
raj sivarajuPresident, APAC, Earring
(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by ETHealthworld. ETHealthworld.com shall not be liable for any damage caused to any person or organization directly or indirectly.)
