How Healthcare Organizations Can Reduce Risk with Zero Trust

The following is a guest article by Peter Newton, Senior Director of Products and Solutions at Fortinet Personal medical and financial data is incredibly valuable, which is why healthcare organizations are high-value targets for cybercriminals. The most common way attackers infiltrate networks is by stealing user credentials, making identity and access management absolutely critical for the medical industry. Zero-trust security strategies have emerged as a strong way to reduce the risk of a data breach. Traditionally, network security has assumed that once a user has logged in to the network, they are safe to access any and all resources inside. On the other hand, zero trust treats anything or anyone trying to connect to the network as a potential threat, grants access to only the resources needed for a user’s function, and continuously verifies a user’s identity and security posture.   This means that even if a bad actor has gained access to the network, the security features in place would catch suspicious behavior in real-time, stopping a breach in its tracks.  Risks Unique to the Healthcare Industry The healthcare sector is especially vulnerable to attacks because of its reliance on electronically stored protected health information (PHI), including records, scans, and bills. The medical devices that have revolutionized patient care, like infusion pumps and monitors, can serve as entry points for attackers if they aren’t properly secured. Additionally, remote app...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Ambulatory C-Suite Leadership Health IT Company Healthcare IT Hospital - Health System IT Infrastructure and Dev Ops LTPAC Security and Privacy Cyberattacks Cybersecurity Fortinet Peter Newton PHI Protected Health Information Z Source Type: blogs