The healthcare industry is undergoing a digital transformation, increasingly relying on interconnected devices and systems to enhance patient care and streamline hospital operations. From sophisticated medical imaging equipment like MRIs to essential devices such as infusion pumps and even building management systems like HVAC, connectivity is paramount. However, this interconnectedness also introduces significant vulnerabilities to cyberattacks, including ransomware, which can severely compromise patient safety and hospital functionality. Furthermore, many of these devices handle Protected Health Information (PHI), making robust security measures non-negotiable.
To effectively safeguard patient well-being and shield these critical systems from malicious activities, healthcare organizations must adopt a comprehensive, hospital-wide cybersecurity strategy. This strategy must ensure that every connected medical device, and any system processing PHI or Personally Identifiable Information (PII), is rigorously secured.
The rapid proliferation of connected devices presents a considerable challenge in developing cybersecurity strategies that comprehensively address all PHI security requirements and protect against evolving threats. However, by leveraging the appropriate Health Care Cyber Security Tools and employing proven methodologies, healthcare organizations can overcome these hurdles. They can not only meet but exceed the minimum data security and privacy standards mandated for PHI and PII in the healthcare sector, ultimately prioritizing patient safety and trust.
What are Health Care Cyber Security Tools?
Health care cyber security tools are specialized technologies and strategies designed to protect patient safety and maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive healthcare data. These tools are the cornerstone of a robust defense, ensuring that access to sensitive patient information is strictly controlled and limited to authorized personnel, such as a patient’s physician and care team.
These tools are crucial for shielding healthcare organizations from a spectrum of threats, both external and internal. External threats include cyberattacks like ransomware, perpetrated by hackers seeking to steal and monetize sensitive personal data on the dark web. Internal threats can range from malicious actions by disgruntled employees to unintentional data breaches caused by staff falling victim to phishing scams or other social engineering tactics. For instance, a hospital employee who clicks on a malicious link in a phishing email could inadvertently grant hackers access to confidential patient records.
Comprehensive healthcare cybersecurity necessitates the implementation of data protection measures across all systems within a medical organization. The scope of systems requiring protection is extensive and varied, including but not limited to:
- Prescribing systems: Used by clinicians to generate and manage patient prescriptions.
- Practice management support systems: Repositories for comprehensive patient healthcare information.
- Clinical decision support systems: Platforms where clinicians manage and access patient care-related data.
- Radiology information systems: Secure storage for medical images and associated patient radiology data.
- Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices: Including infusion pumps and remote patient monitoring tools, which collect real-time patient health data.
- Operational Technology (OT) devices: Such as HVAC and elevator control systems, which, if compromised, could disrupt hospital operations, delay critical medical procedures, and endanger patient safety.
- Internet of Things (IoT) devices: Like smart speakers and screens, which may collect patient-related data and can serve as entry points for attackers to infiltrate the network and move laterally to more sensitive systems.
These diverse connected devices, all vital for patient care and hospital operations, are potential sources and repositories of PHI or PII. They represent prime targets for cyberattacks and data theft, underscoring the urgent need for robust security measures.
Effective healthcare cybersecurity also demands a multi-faceted approach that considers the needs and responsibilities of various stakeholders. Hospital staff must be thoroughly trained on cybersecurity policies and resources, enabling them to handle sensitive data responsibly and remain vigilant against constantly evolving cyber threats. For example, Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) and biomedical engineering teams can leverage insights from healthcare cybersecurity tools to enhance their daily workflows, such as efficiently locating medical devices, identifying and prioritizing devices with known vulnerabilities, and optimizing patching and maintenance schedules based on device utilization data.
Vendors providing digital services and resources to healthcare organizations also share a crucial role in maintaining cybersecurity. They are accountable for adhering to stringent cybersecurity practices to safeguard data stored or processed within their systems and devices. Similarly, healthcare security and IT teams are at the forefront, tasked with fortifying IT infrastructure housing PHI or PII, and swiftly detecting and responding to any cybersecurity incidents.
To better understand the practical application of healthcare cybersecurity across different areas, let’s examine specific examples of systems and devices that are typically addressed by comprehensive healthcare cybersecurity strategies.
Email Security Tools
While email systems might not immediately come to mind as primary repositories of sensitive medical data, they often contain patient information and are thus subject to PHI and PII security regulations. Therefore, securing email communications is a critical component of healthcare cybersecurity.
Furthermore, email is a common entry point for cyberattacks. Hackers frequently use email to distribute malware or launch phishing campaigns. Robust email security tools are essential to prevent data breaches and protect against the theft of private information through these vectors. These tools often include features like spam filtering, anti-phishing measures, and encryption to safeguard email communications and attachments.
Medical Device Security Tools
Hospitals and clinics rely heavily on a wide array of medical devices for diagnostics, treatment, and patient monitoring. These range from medical workstations used by nurses for patient record management to tablets employed by physicians for prescribing medications.
Medical device security tools are crucial for protecting these endpoints. If malicious actors gain physical access to these devices, they could potentially extract sensitive patient data or gain unauthorized entry into other hospital systems and networks. They might even install malware to facilitate remote attacks at a later time. Effective healthcare cybersecurity solutions must offer robust protection against both physical and remote threats targeting medical devices. This includes endpoint security software, device encryption, and access control measures.
Connected IoT Device Security Tools
Beyond traditional IT devices, healthcare facilities increasingly utilize a diverse range of connected or smart devices, such as Internet-controlled HVAC sensors and elevator controllers. These devices, while essential for operational efficiency, can also be vulnerable entry points for cyberattacks if not properly secured.
Connected IoT device security tools are vital for monitoring, securing, and managing these often-overlooked assets. Without adequate security measures, these devices can be compromised, potentially leading to disruptions in critical hospital services or providing attackers with a foothold to penetrate deeper into the network. Tools in this category include network segmentation, IoT-specific firewalls, and device management platforms designed to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in IoT devices.
Legacy System Security Tools
Legacy systems, defined as any systems no longer actively supported by their manufacturers but still in operation, pose unique cybersecurity challenges. Examples include outdated operating systems or applications from defunct vendors. Upgrading healthcare technology is often a complex and resource-intensive undertaking, leading healthcare organizations to rely on legacy systems for extended periods until migration becomes feasible.
Legacy systems are inherently vulnerable because they no longer receive critical security updates or patches, leaving them susceptible to known exploits. Furthermore, documentation for maintaining these systems is often outdated or incomplete. Despite these challenges, healthcare cybersecurity tools must be capable of protecting data residing within legacy systems. This may involve employing specialized security tools designed for older systems, network segmentation to isolate legacy systems, and implementing compensating controls to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Health Care Cyber Security Threats
In today’s threat landscape, cyberattacks against healthcare organizations are not a matter of “if,” but “when.” Breaches and attempted breaches are at an unprecedented level. This surge is largely attributed to the high value of healthcare data, making it a prime target for hackers seeking to encrypt sensitive information and demand exorbitant ransoms.
Attackers employ a variety of techniques to gain unauthorized access to valuable healthcare information. Common cyber threats include:
Malware Protection Tools
Malware, or malicious software, encompasses a broad range of harmful programs designed to grant attackers unauthorized access to systems and the data they contain. Malware can be used to steal login credentials, exfiltrate sensitive data, or gain control over systems for lateral movement within the network or to disrupt essential services. Anti-malware tools, including antivirus software and advanced endpoint protection platforms, are crucial for preventing, detecting, and removing malware infections.
Ransomware Defense Tools
Ransomware is a particularly devastating form of malware that encrypts data, rendering it unusable to the healthcare organization. Once encryption is complete, attackers demand a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key. Unless the targeted organization has robust data backups and recovery procedures in place, they are faced with the agonizing choice of paying the ransom or enduring significant operational disruptions. Ransomware defense tools include proactive measures like threat intelligence feeds, intrusion detection systems, and data backup and recovery solutions.
Anti-Phishing Tools
Phishing is a social engineering attack technique where malicious actors deceive users into divulging sensitive information. Attackers often send emails impersonating IT staff or embedding malicious links to trick employees into revealing usernames and passwords. Successful phishing attacks can enable hackers to gain unauthorized system access, steal data, install malware, or launch ransomware attacks. Anti-phishing tools, such as email filtering, link analysis, and user awareness training programs, are essential to combat these threats.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Tools
Data exposure, whether through lost or stolen devices, insecure physical systems, or IT breaches, can result in sensitive information becoming accessible to unauthorized individuals. While not always the result of a direct cyberattack, data exposure has the same detrimental outcome: the compromise of sensitive information. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools are designed to prevent sensitive data from leaving the organization’s control, monitoring data in motion and at rest to detect and prevent unauthorized data exfiltration.
Insider Threat Detection Tools
Insiders, such as hospital staff, possess legitimate access to various systems. If employees intentionally or unintentionally misuse this access, they can place sensitive data at risk. This risk is amplified if systems are configured with overly permissive access controls, granting internal users broader access than necessary. Insider threat detection tools monitor user behavior and system activity to identify and alert on anomalous or potentially malicious actions by authorized users.
Vulnerability Scanning Tools
System vulnerabilities, arising from unpatched or outdated software, recalled or banned devices, can be readily exploited by attackers. Information about known vulnerabilities is often publicly available in databases, and recall notices are issued by manufacturers and regulatory bodies like the FDA. Hackers can easily identify and exploit these weaknesses to deploy malware or gain unauthorized access, putting the entire organization at risk. Vulnerability scanning tools automatically identify and assess vulnerabilities in systems and applications, enabling organizations to prioritize and remediate weaknesses before they can be exploited.
Health Care Cyber Security Best Practices
While each healthcare organization faces unique security risks and requirements, there are fundamental cybersecurity best practices that every organization should implement to mitigate risks to patient safety and prevent the misuse of PHI and PII.
Achieve Comprehensive Visibility with Asset Discovery Tools
“You can’t protect what you can’t see” is a foundational principle of cybersecurity. Therefore, establishing and maintaining comprehensive, continuously updated visibility across the entire hospital network is the crucial first step in any healthcare cybersecurity strategy. Asset discovery tools play a vital role in achieving this visibility.
Comprehensive visibility entails having a complete understanding of all assets connected to the organization’s network, including their identities, functions, the services they provide, the data they collect, manage, or access, and the security measures (or lack thereof) in place to protect them. Visibility also extends to identifying vulnerabilities that expose devices, services, and data to risk. This holistic view of the attack surface enables organizations to effectively assess vulnerabilities, identify potential risks, and proactively monitor for threats. Asset discovery tools automatically scan the network to identify and profile all connected devices, providing a real-time inventory and visibility into the organization’s digital ecosystem.
Conduct Regular Risk Assessments
Risk assessments are systematic evaluations of healthcare cybersecurity vulnerabilities and threats, coupled with an analysis of the potential impact and likelihood of each risk. These assessments also document the security measures the organization has implemented to mitigate identified risks. Risk assessment tools can help automate and streamline this process.
Healthcare organizations should conduct risk assessments regularly—at least annually, and ideally more frequently—as an integral part of their cybersecurity strategy. Regular assessments are often mandated for regulatory compliance and may be a prerequisite for obtaining cyber insurance. Risk assessment procedures should be updated whenever new devices or services are deployed or when the threat landscape evolves. Risk assessment tools provide a structured framework for identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing risks, helping organizations focus their security efforts on the most critical areas.
Implement Robust Security Controls
Security controls, encompassing the tools and procedures organizations use to harden systems against attack, are essential for minimizing healthcare cybersecurity risks. A layered security approach, incorporating a range of security controls, provides the most effective defense.
Foundational security control measures include tools like antivirus software, which helps prevent malware infections. Data backup and restoration platforms are critical for recovering compromised data following a ransomware attack. Data encryption, network firewalls, incident response planning, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are also crucial for establishing baseline security defenses for healthcare systems.
Specialized connected device security tools and solutions, such as Ordr, are also vital for discovering and classifying every device within healthcare environments, inspecting East-West network traffic for malware or communications with malicious domains, and identifying device vulnerabilities. Crucially, within healthcare, these connected device security tools MUST be designed to operate without disrupting sensitive medical device operations. Therefore, solutions offering an “agentless, passive” approach to security are highly preferred. These tools provide granular visibility into device behavior, enforce security policies, and automate threat response actions.
Embrace Zero Trust Principles
Many modern healthcare organizations are adopting Zero Trust as a core cybersecurity strategy. Zero Trust operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” assuming that no user or device should be inherently trusted, regardless of their location within the network. Zero Trust principles aim to enforce the minimum necessary permissions to control access to healthcare systems and data, thereby significantly reducing risk.
Zero Trust can be applied to users, devices, data assets, and services to restrict communication pathways and mitigate the potential impact of a breach. Network segmentation, sometimes referred to as microsegmentation, is a key Zero Trust technique that isolates devices and systems on the network, preventing unnecessary lateral movement and communication. Network Access Control (NAC) is another example of a Zero Trust tool, controlling device and user access to the network and services based on predefined policies and identity verification. Zero Trust tools help enforce granular access control, segment networks, and continuously monitor and validate user and device identities.
Educate and Train Staff on Security Awareness
Security awareness training programs are essential for ensuring that healthcare workers understand cybersecurity risks and adhere to best practices to protect patients, services, and data. Human error is a significant factor in many security breaches, making staff education a critical layer of defense.
Healthcare staff should be trained to recognize and respond appropriately to threats, such as phishing emails. They must also be aware of the risks posed by both external and internal threats and understand their role in maintaining a secure environment. Staff education also serves to disseminate awareness of legal and regulatory requirements related to healthcare cybersecurity, such as HIPAA, ensuring that all personnel contribute to compliance efforts. Security awareness training tools include online modules, simulated phishing exercises, and policy management platforms to track training completion and policy acknowledgment.
Health Care Cyber Security Laws and Regulations
HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is the most prominent law governing healthcare cybersecurity practices in the United States. While compliance with these regulations should not be the sole motivator for protecting sensitive data, it serves as a critical driver for many healthcare organizations. A thorough understanding of relevant healthcare laws and regulations is therefore a vital aspect of healthcare cybersecurity.
HIPAA encompasses several key provisions impacting healthcare data security. The Privacy Rule (45 CFR Part 160 and Subparts A and E of Part 164) establishes guidelines for the permitted and required uses and disclosures of PHI, defining PHI as individually identifiable health information subject to specific security requirements.
The HIPAA Security Rule (45 CFR Part 160 and Part 164, Subparts A and C) outlines specific security requirements for electronically stored PHI, reflecting the predominantly digital nature of healthcare data today. These requirements mandate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI.
The Breach Notification Rule (45 CFR §§ 164.400-414) mandates that organizations notify affected individuals in the event of a cybersecurity breach involving PHI. This rule sets forth specific timelines and requirements for breach notification, depending on the scope and severity of the breach.
Beyond HIPAA, other regulations may apply to healthcare data depending on the specific context. For example, 42 CFR Part 2 governs patient records created by federally funded programs treating substance use disorders, imposing stringent privacy requirements on PHI in this specific domain.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Framework offers comprehensive guidance, guidelines, and best practices for organizations to mitigate cybersecurity risk. Developed in 2014 and updated in 2018, the NIST Framework provides a structured approach to risk management and cybersecurity communication, offering a common language and systemic methodology for organizations to enhance their security posture.
The NIST Framework comprises three core components: Core, Tiers, and Profiles. The Core assists organizations in managing and reducing risks in a manner that complements their existing cybersecurity practices. Profiles enable organizations to identify areas for process optimization and new process implementation. Tiers help organizations assess the rigor and sophistication of their cybersecurity program’s alignment with NIST standards.
The HHS 405(d) Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP), integrated within the NIST Framework, provides sector-specific guidelines for healthcare cybersecurity standards. According to HHS, the top cybersecurity threats facing the healthcare industry include:
- Email phishing attacks
- Ransomware attacks
- Loss or theft of equipment
- Accidental or intentional data loss
- Connected medical device attacks impacting patient safety
Both the NIST Framework and HHS 405(d) HICP serve as valuable resources for healthcare agencies and organizations in strengthening their cybersecurity defenses and protecting patient data.
Protect Your Whole Hospital with Comprehensive Cyber Security Tools
Healthcare cybersecurity threats are multifaceted and target a wide range of systems across the modern healthcare ecosystem. Therefore, healthcare organizations must implement a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that encompasses robust protections for all assets. This includes everything from traditional IT systems and Internet of Medical Things devices to unsupported legacy systems, connected facilities devices, and general IoT devices. These defenses must be capable of mitigating all types of attacks, risks, and threats.
Organizations must also maintain complete visibility across their entire network, including high-risk assets, and continuously monitor their security posture. Furthermore, they must be fully aware of relevant regulatory mandates and implement the necessary security controls to ensure compliance.
Ordr offers a whole-hospital approach to healthcare cybersecurity, providing a suite of powerful tools to address these challenges. By automatically discovering and accurately classifying all connected devices within healthcare environments, Ordr delivers continuously updated asset inventories, providing comprehensive visibility into healthcare systems, vulnerabilities, and risks. Moreover, Ordr empowers organizations to enforce healthcare cybersecurity best practices rooted in Zero Trust principles, helping them safeguard critical data and services, meet stringent compliance and data privacy mandates, and, most importantly, ensure patient safety.
