In honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we are revisiting three pivotal healthcare IT security topics that our Chief Information Security Officer, Michael Johnson, addressed in 2023. We will also explore how organizations can harness these insights and technologies to fortify their defenses and protect sensitive data in the year ahead.

First, we explore the hidden costs of vendor sprawl, where a growing reliance on multiple vendors jeopardizes the integrity of patient data. Next, we delve into the pressing concern of addressing cybersecurity in rural healthcare, recognizing the life-threatening implications of system downtime for remote populations. Lastly, we uncover the dangers of fake login pages as malicious actors exploit data architecture to access critical systems.

Join us as we enter the new year with valuable insights from these crucial healthcare IT security topics. Together, we'll tackle upcoming challenges to ensure a more secure and resilient 2024.

The Hidden Cost of Vendor Sprawl

While technology partnerships continue to transform the healthcare industry, a growing reliance on multiple vendors is creating security risks that threaten the integrity of patient data.

• 48% of organizations lack a full inventory of all third parties accessing their networks.
• The ten largest data breaches of 2022 were traced back to third-party vendors.
• 55% of healthcare institutions experienced data breaches within the past 12 months due to reliance on external vendors.

This blog explores the impact of vendor sprawl on healthcare security and offers insights into tackling this issue in a way that keeps costs under control.

More here.

Addressing Cybersecurity in Rural Healthcare

While any cyberattack on healthcare infrastructure has the potential to disrupt care and negatively impact patient outcomes, these events pose a significant risk for rural populations. In these areas, the nearest alternative hospital might be hours away, meaning system downtime resulting from a cyberattack may have life-threatening implications.

Unlike their metropolitan counterparts, rural hospitals don’t have the resources or applicant pool to attract cybersecurity professionals amid a shortage of qualified candidates. Limited budgets and difficulties in obtaining insurance policies further compound the issue.

In this blog, we will explore the importance of working with an information security (infosec) partner to strengthen cybersecurity defenses and discuss how MEDTEAM Information Security Services can help fill workforce gaps and protect against malicious actors.

More here.

Don’t Be Fooled by Fake Login Pages

Recently, data architecture has emerged as a popular vector for attack. Malicious actors can take advantage of internet-facing servers that require a username and password by creating a clone of the server login page and tricking users into entering their credentials.

In this blog, we’ll outline how multi-factor authentication (MFA) can protect these systems as well as best practices that healthcare organizations can adopt to prevent criminals from using digital resources to compromise security.

More here.

To learn more about how MEDHOST can help protect its customers from cyber threats and reduce its impact on operations, please reach out to us at inquiries@medhost.com or call 1.800.383.6278.