What Is Healthcare IT Security Protecting Against?
Healthcare IT security is designed to protect against a wide range of threats, such as unauthorized access and data breaches, malicious attacks like ransomware or malware, phishing scams, insider threats, and more.
But where are these threats coming from, and what measures can be put in place to reduce risk associated with transferring and storing healthcare data? Here are three common reasons electronic protected health information (ePHI) is targeted.
Black Market Customer Data
A hacker attack involves criminals stealing personal information from a healthcare organization, such as patient records or PHI, and then selling it on the dark web for financial gain. This stolen data can be used to commit identity theft, insurance fraud, and other kinds of financial crimes against an organization's patients. Medical data is some of the most high-value data on the black market, largely due to the ability to get prescriptions for narcotics.
To protect against this type of attack, healthcare organizations should have robust security measures in place that include firewalls and antivirus software, user education and monitoring, secure backups, encryption technologies, and multi-factor authentication.
Cyber Threats Like Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware is a malicious attack that uses encryption to lock access to data and files. This type of attack can be particularly damaging for healthcare organizations, as it can cause them to completely lose access to PHI and other vital patient information.
It's important that healthcare organizations are aware of ransomware attacks and have robust measures in place to protect against them. If an organization does suffer from a ransomware attack, it should make sure that they are prepared with a plan for how to deal with the issue quickly and efficiently in order to minimize any damage caused by the attack.
Curious Employees
Unfortunately, curious employees can be one of the biggest threats to healthcare organizations when it comes to protecting ePHI and other patient records. Although some access to ePHI may be necessary for certain employees in order to do their jobs—such as nurses or doctors accessing patient information in order to provide care—sometimes employees will inappropriately snoop or access information that is not relevant to their job duties.
This type of activity can lead to a data breach if the appropriate measures are not in place. In order to prevent this from happening, healthcare organizations should have policies in place regarding employee access that clearly define what types of information and records an employee is allowed to view, investigate any access that is outside of those parameters, and educate staff on their responsibilities when it comes to protecting patient privacy.
Financial Data Theft
Your clients aren't just trusting you with their health information. You're also tasked with protecting the financial data they provide.
To do this, you'll need eCommerce security that protects financial information like credit cards, debit cards, or check numbers. Many of the security controls you put in place for healthcare data will also protect financial data, but you must also put PCI DSS security in place to ensure credit card information is safe.
Healthcare Organizations Steps to Data Security
Now that you know the reasons healthcare data is in danger, it's important to discuss some of the most important steps you can take to ensure patient ePHI stays safe and secure. You should take steps to ensure all of the following are addressed.
Implement Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication
Implementing strong passwords and multi-factor authentication is an essential step for ensuring healthcare privacy. It is important to implement password policies that require users to create passwords with at least eight characters or more, containing a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should also be utilized when possible, as it provides an extra layer of authentication and access control. MFA requires users to present two or more pieces of evidence (e.g., password + fingerprint scan + voice recognition) before gaining access to the system. Such measures can greatly reduce the chances of unauthorized access by those attempting to maliciously intrude into the system.
Keep Hardware and Software Up To Date
Keeping hardware and software up to date is an important component of upholding HIPAA compliance. Outdated systems can be vulnerable to cyberattacks, which may lead to unauthorized access to protected health information (PHI).
As such, healthcare providers should ensure that all hardware and software used in their networks are regularly updated with the latest security patches. It's also important for healthcare IT staff to monitor system logs regularly for any suspicious activity or unauthorized access attempts. Such proactive measures can help protect PHI from potential data breaches and maintain HIPAA compliance.
Utilize SSL/TLS Encryption
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption are essential tools for healthcare providers to uphold HIPAA compliance. SSL/TLS encryption creates a secure link between two systems, allowing data to be transmitted securely over the internet. This ensures that any PHI sent via a HIPAA-compliant website is encrypted and protected from malicious actors.
Businesses in the healthcare sector must verify the identity of their partners before establishing an encrypted connection in order to ensure a secure data exchange. They should also develop routinely scheduled tests on their networks to ensure all data is properly encrypted at all times.
Install Firewalls and Virus Scanners
Firewalls and virus scanners are essential components of upholding HIPAA compliance. Firewalls act as a barrier between malicious actors and PHI, preventing them from gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data. Virus scanners are important for detecting and eliminating any potential viruses or malware that may be used to gain access to PHI.
Healthcare organizations should regularly update their firewalls and virus scanners in order to keep their networks secure from hackers. IT staff must also ensure that all users connected to the network only have access to relevant information for their job functions in order to further protect PHI from unauthorized access.
Implement User Monitoring
User monitoring is an essential component of upholding HIPAA compliance in healthcare systems. IT staff should monitor user activity on their networks to detect any unauthorized activity and ensure that PHI is not being accessed without a legitimate need.
User monitoring should also include logging of any logins and session lengths, as well as tracking users' access privileges for different areas of the network. This helps to prevent malicious actors from gaining access to PHI and also helps those in the healthcare sector identify any suspicious behavior or activities in a timely manner.
This kind of monitoring should be regularly reviewed to ensure that it is effective in maintaining security standards and upholding HIPAA compliance.
Secure Mobile Device Usage
Mobile devices and medical data security are essential to upholding HIPAA compliance. Mobile devices are increasingly being used to access PHI, which can present a risk of unauthorized access if not protected properly. Healthcare organizations should ensure that any mobile device used to access PHI has a secure encryption and other safeguards in place, such as multi-factor authentication, to prevent the potential of data breaches.
Medical data security should incorporate secure technologies such as firewalls and virus scanners in order to protect PHI from malicious actors. Healthcare organizations must also be aware of the threats posed by mobile devices, including malware infections, unsecured Wi-Fi networks, phishing attacks, and more, and ensure that users are educated about how to properly protect their devices from such threats.