Healthcare Network Security For Small Medical Practices

Summary: This discussion focuses on the importance of robust healthcare network security in protecting patient and employee medical, financial, and personal information. Regular network assessments and professional cybersecurity knowledge help protect valuable practice data. Data protection must also include all connected devices that access the practice network, such as phones, tablets, cameras, printers and monitoring devices.

The healthcare sector is now a prime target for cybercriminals. Hackers target small healthcare networks because they contain valuable data that can be used for direct financial theft, sold repeatedly on the dark web or held for ransom. These small networks typically lack effective cybersecurity protection. Cyberattacks are expensive events and can disrupt a practice for months – compromising patient care and even putting some practices out of business in the year following an attack.

Healthcare Security Compliance

Healthcare information security is not optional. It is governed by federal law. The Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPPA, was passed to address two significant issues:

• Ensuring Health Insurance Coverage for workers who are between jobs.
• Ensuring Healthcare Data Security Compliance – (The security of protected health data privacy as dictated by law.) This data includes personal and financial information associated with a patient’s medical account.

With the help of IT security professionals, your small medical practice can take immediate action to harden healthcare information security by adopting cybersecurity for medical practices strategies such as:

• Password Management – The days of using your birthday or 2222 are long gone. With the uptick in cybercrime, using unique, long, multi-character passwords that include capital and small letters, numbers and special characters is more important than ever. As these passwords are more difficult to remember, professionals recommend using a reputable password manager (check with your IT security technician for a recommendation) to generate and manage passwords safely. Strong, unique passwords should be used for all applications and devices.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – MFA adds a very strong layer of data defense. In addition to entering a password on the device being used, MFA requires a second confirmation of the user’s identity via another device. For example, an application might text a security code to a user’s cell phone for secondary identity confirmation. Other MFAs include optical, fingerprint and facial recognition.
• Access Management – Patient healthcare data security includes restricting access to applications, accounts, network data files and connected devices. For example, someone in a practice's bookkeeping department does not need access to patient test results to do their job. Access must be carefully controlled and practices must be able to quickly revoke access when an employee or vendor partner is off-boarded.
• Data Encryption – Data encryption is a powerful tool for healthcare security compliance. Encrypting inbound, outbound and cloud data makes it unusable and unsellable if it is intercepted by a cybercriminal.
• Anti-Virus Software – Installing robust anti-virus software that includes live SOC (Security Operations Center) monitoring on your network is imperative. Monitoring can react to network anomalies such as large data exfiltration occurring during non-business hours, and other indications of compromise. Professional-grade anti-virus software (not the free versions that come with computers) can ensure you have the best protection. It performs scheduled scans to protect your network from viruses, malware, ransomware and other cyberattacks. It is vital that the virus definitions and software are updated regularly.
• Risk Assessments – With the help of cyber security professionals, risk assessments should be performed to ascertain any vulnerabilities or potential cyber threats before a cyberattack. Yearly assessments can identify problem areas in healthcare information security or the presence of malware.
• Firewalls – Firewalls are crucial hardware designed to monitor and control computer network traffic. They act as a barrier and filter between your network and the Internet. Firewalls require patching (or occasional replacement) and precise settings to maintain effectiveness.
• Cyber Security Awareness Training – Everyone in your practice with access to the network must be trained in data security best practices. As cybercrime methods continue to evolve, security awareness training and testing must be repeated at regular intervals. Training can be customized based on role, tasks or department. Management and staff will be trained to recognize and avoid the latest threats and cybercrime tactics.

Cybersecurity and Medical Devices

In all computer networks, every connected device represents a vulnerable endpoint through which cyber thieves can attack. Every computer, printer, scanner, cell phone, tablet or smart device connected to your network must be protected and secured. For all medical practices and facilities, medical device security is essential to ensure that clinicians have the secure technology they need to perform their jobs. Managing access to these devices helps keep data secure.

Managing healthcare cyber threats requires ongoing attention to detail and in-depth knowledge of current cyber protections. Small medical practices typically lack the budget for a full-time IT security team. Outsourced, managed cybersecurity services are an affordable solution for smaller practices.

Key Takeaways: The Risks of Inadequate Healthcare Network Security

Healthcare network security is essential for medical practice data protection, medical device protection and healthcare security compliance, which is mandated by law. Failing to protect the valuable private data your practice has collected can result in patient and employee lawsuits, poor patient outcomes, hundreds of thousands in recovery costs, and months of network recovery. The cost of basic network protection is a small fraction of the cost of an average cyberattack and recovery.

Professional cyber security can help you demonstrate compliance with regulators, insurers, auditors and partners. It is far less expensive and time-consuming to avoid a cyberattack than to recover from one. Take steps now to reduce the risk of a cyberattack.