What You Need to Know About New Healthcare Devices and Network Security

97 percent of healthcare providers have a high level of concern about cybersecurity and resilience.

The healthcare industry continues to be at the forefront of innovation, adopting new ways to improve patient care and deliver better treatment plans. Technology makes this even easier. Now, healthcare providers can monitor patients in real time, no matter where they are. Healthcare providers rely on these devices to monitor and adjust dosages for their patients, even when they aren’t near a hospital or medical facility. These groundbreaking devices are truly changing the way patient care is delivered. However, if these devices lack proper security, the consequences could be devastating—and not just for healthcare organizations. You need to know how healthcare devices and network security can affect your business.

What are these devices?

These medical innovations range from insulin pumps to defibrillators, cardiac monitoring devices to pacemakers, and more. Some of these devices, like pacemakers, are embedded within patients. The monitor and transfer secure information back to the healthcare organization. More and more people each year are receiving treatments through these wearable devices. In fact, worldwide shipments for healthcare wearables will increase from 2.5 million in 2016 to 97.6 million units annually by 2021. These new healthcare devices revolutionize the way patients receive treatment. But historically, embedded devices have a low level of security, making the entire network vulnerable to a security breach. If you don’t have the proper security measures in place, you could be putting your entire business at risk.

How do they affect your organization’s security?

Embedded, connected devices are often mobile, which makes locating these devices on the network more difficult. Without the ability to easily locate these devices, monitoring for a potential attack becomes more challenging. In fact, nearly half of all businesses do not know what devices exist on their network. If a hacker breaks into a connected device, they can wreak havoc on your business. A hacker could access someone’s wireless insulin pump, which is scary enough! But beyond that, each device could also act as an entry point into your entire network. Once a hacker gets into your network, they can steal information, carry out a ransomware attack or cause irreparable damage.

And the number of ransomware attacks are on the rise. The number of major ransomware events targeted against healthcare organizations increased 89% from 2016 to 2017. Don’t leave your organization open to vulnerabilities, Savant Solutions can help you develop a security plan.

What can you do to protect yourself?

It all starts with awareness. Many employees don’t know how to prevent the malware from spreading. It’s important to have strong firewalls and keep all devices and systems patched and updated. Hackers always look for the easiest entry point, so the more difficult you make it to enter your network, the more likely the hacker will just move on to the next target.

Savant Solutions can help you understand healthcare devices and network security. Additionally, we can help you secure your network and all network-connected devices. We have experts who can determine your risk and put measures in place to protect your sensitive information. Keep your organization safe, contact Savant Solutions today. We’ll help you develop a top to bottom security plan to protect you and your business.