The technology advancement of recent years has opened up the business world to endless opportunities and is bound to continue shaping our contemporary landscape. While this is undeniably good news, it is important to note that it also comes with certain risks. In fact, as industries across all areas are determined to maintain the current level of digitalization well beyond the COVID-19 global epidemic, the new normal has left healthcare delivery organizations more vulnerable to ever-sophisticated security breaches and cyberattacks.
Along with increased exposure to financial liability, high-stake industries such as the healthcare sector are also facing cybersecurity threats that can potentially affect patient care.
Luckily, there are a few steps healthcare facilities can take to reap the benefits of digitalization whilst also protecting their assets from data breaches.
1. Invest in solid wireless infrastructure services
Risk mitigation starts with an outstanding infrastructure. Cut-edge implementations such as public key infrastructure (PKI) and network access control (NAC) are designed to provide your business with the highest possible level of security.
What is PKI? PKI usually consists of a set of rules granting secure encryption and signature keys. This service is in charge of protecting sensitive data across all platforms and channels via one- or two-way identification.
NAC, on the other hand, works to consolidate and extend protection across endpoint security technology, user/system authentication, and network.
2. Foster a Culture of Cybersecurity in Your Business
As mentioned above, a rock-solid infrastructure is the best defense against malicious cyber attacks. Notwithstanding, security tools alone might not be enough. Taking advantage of the most innovative solutions involves targeted employee training and great emphasis on the importance of cybersecurity.
There are many ways you can help foster a culture of cybersecurity within your organization. Establishing clear guidelines around safe password practice and reduced data transfers on external devices is a great first step. Depending on your specific organizational needs, it might be useful to deliver ongoing training and seminars covering security best practices.
3. Conduct Regular Audits, Reviews, and Tests
In order to prepare for cyberattacks, it is important to continuously check that your efforts are working. This can be achieved through periodical audits, reviews, and tests. These should be deployed across the whole infrastructure and aimed to not only ensure that the infrastructure is up and working but also that sensitive data is being handled correctly by your staff. From pentesting to big bounties, there is no shortage of tools at your disposal. Finding the one that works for you should not be hard.
4. Develop a Breach Response Plan
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, a data breach will still happen. Fortunately, this does not need to be a helpless event. In fact, there are still steps a company can take after a data breach. Through a breach response plan, for example, you will be able to gather all the steps necessary to manage and mitigate a threat.
Naturally, setting up a thorough breach response plan takes some planning. An effective strategic approach will include preparing for potential service disruptions (e.g. ransomware, failed access to important third-party services, etc.) as well as for data loss or mishandling of sensitive information. Anticipating all worst-case scenarios can help you be prepared should one of them indeed play out.
Do you want to discuss your network security needs?
Contact Clinical Mobility today!
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