Healthcare agencies have had to undergo many issues over the last two years to adapt to the current day and age. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed healthcare to transform its services into a hybrid model. Thus, it has relied more on technology to extend care beyond the walls of brick and mortar clinics.
Healthcare Agencies Adapt
To ensure that patient care remains compliant and maintains confidentiality, the increased reliance on computing requires improved healthcare cybersecurity infrastructure and practices.
Edge Computing
The flood of data resulting from virtual and de-centralized healthcare centers is changing the traditional method of handling computing. Data is moving away from a centralized storage center. The storage center often experienced network disruptions, latency issues, and bandwidth limitations. Instead, information is collected, processed, and analyzed at the point of data generation. The decentralized approach helps manage the load imposed on a central server, However, there is an increased risk for cyberattacks due to the data points’ number and remote nature.
Hybrid Infrastructure
Healthcare agencies are adapting. The industry is currently operating under a hybrid infrastructure. Thus, 50% focuses on edge computing and 50% focuses on utilizing a traditional network system. The hybrid approach will likely continue. Also, studies show hesitancy to commit to edge computing due to the risk of cyberattacks. 63% of healthcare companies indicated that cyber threats to the network and cloud workloads are of great concern now and in the foreseeable future.
How Does Cybersecurity Work in Healthcare?
Healthcare corporations rely on data encryption, multi-factor authentication, endpoint and device monitoring, and intrusion and threat detection as their most effective defenses against cybercrime. Then, most organizations in the healthcare sector maintain legacy cybersecurity controls with on-site architecture. While a migration toward edge computing is continuing to occur, on-premises infrastructure will remain central to most organizations for the following reasons:
- Concerns regarding regulatory issues or data residency
- Legacy infrastructure that is still relatively new
- Lingering hesitancy about using the cloud in high-risk cases
How Can We Improve Cybersecurity in Healthcare?
The healthcare industry has historically not implemented cybertechnology as quickly as it could. However, recent trends show healthcare companies prioritizing security in technology innovation. Hospitals offer more telemedicine in and open remote clinics and testing sites in 2022. Therefore, corporate leadership showed an understanding of the importance of protection to the success of these operations. 44% of healthcare organizations plan to spend from 11 to 20% of their technology budget on security. Also, it shows a significant increase over the 1% of planned budget expenditure on security indicated in a 2021 survey.
The layers of an information technology system determine the efficiency of the system and the ability to resist intrusion. Thankfully, there are cybersecurity packages that healthcare agencies can use to protect themselves. These measures are smart and tactical. However, the traditional configuration of the healthcare IT system is layered. It historically does not have the sophistication it needs to fight cyberattacks. With a move toward edge computing, the layers are re-distributed, and the appropriate cybersecurity needs to be re-defined. Moreover, current trends toward heightened investment in security are an encouraging sign that the industry is taking the threat of cyberattacks more seriously.
