Monitoring Healthcare Endpoints and Users Is Your Best Remedy for Your Security Program

In the recent US midterm elections, healthcare was a key factor for voters. Americans are clearly worried about healthcare coverage and the increasing costs of taking care of themselves and their families. Yet, with all the debates on healthcare, no one spoke up about the need to protect patient data from cyber criminals. Maybe because they didn’t know their health information was at risk.

Patient data is some of the most valuable information for cyber attackers.

Stolen medical record data that includes personal, prescription, and insurance information is estimated to be worth between $30 and $500 per piece of information, while credit card numbers can be sold by hackers for as little as 10 to 15 cents apiece. With that kind of value on the dark web, it’s no wonder that healthcare data is a major target. That means that healthcare companies have to step up their endpoint cybersecurity defenses to protect health information. But this is just one aspect of access that cyber criminals want.

Technical advancements in medical devices are staggering — and so are their risks.

The new innovations to help heal patients are incredibly exciting. Many of these connected medical devices are internet-based, allowing for software updates or information transfer between the device to other medical repositories. But with internet access, bad cyber actors have additional targets. These criminals could potentially steal data from these devices or, worse yet, disable them. That means patients may not be able to rely on these critical medical devices to help rehabilitate them. Patient safety is vital. The cost of that delay could be unfathomable and heartbreaking. Healthcare companies must defend this additional battleground.

Healthcare companies must take the lead in endpoint management solutions and invest in protection.

Organizations of every size must make cybersecurity a top priority. There must be a push to automate device management across all connected devices on the network. This will ensure they are secure from data breach, keep up with the latest software patches as a defense against attacks, and centralize and streamline endpoint device management through a single console to improve control. Right now, there are so many ways into a healthcare organization. That makes it even more important to safeguard data. Learn how Interfocus provides the tools to protect your patients’ records, their information, and your organization.