Introduction

Digitalization in Healthcare

A Life Saving Transformation

93% of healthcare providers reported that they are revitalizing their innovation paradigms, and fast. And this faster digitalization is proving to be the much needed, ‘life-saving’ transformation – redefining the dynamics of the healthcare industry worldwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a major challenge for the resilience and capabilities of the global healthcare industry. From personal diagnostics, medical devices, and onwards to super-specialty patient care – providers and OEMs have had to step up their activities and operational paradigms to address the emerging requirements in the post-pandemic global ecosystem.

Like any other scenario with worldwide implications, the pandemic has also given rise to several key questions in its wake - changing stakeholder perspectives on several aspects and functions, particularly within the ongoing digital transformation landscape.

Patient experiences today constitutes the cornerstone of modern healthcare as it gears up for deeper digitalization journey across the value chain. As the uptake of digital increases, the healthcare sector is witnessing an influx of investments in remote-driven clinical capabilities and offerings, including, among others, a rise in the use of telemedicine and virtual consultations.

Challenges in Healthcare Data Security

63% of the healthcare organizations surveyed have already experienced a security incident stemming from IoT devices.

However, the digitalization journey involves several key challenges around ensuring security for healthcare data. Data security has emerged as one of the major concerns for the healthcare industry today. The large amounts of sensitive patient information available with medical organizations and device manufacturers make them the prime targets, and most of them continue to lack the necessary expertise and tools to protect themselves.

The recent global surge in cybercrimes has led to many healthcare organizations realizing that they need a revamped cybersecurity paradigm. On the whole, while the industry is now starting to understand the need for data security, challenges persist.

Types of Attacks

The Scenario Needs to Change

Medical organizations today face more pressure than most to improve the security of their data and digital assets. These businesses are a favorite target of cybercriminals, and as long as they handle valuable data, they will continue to be so. The need, therefore, boils down to enhanced application and implementation of cybersecurity measures and policies.

1. Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware incidents plagued leading hospitals worldwide during 2020 and 2021. Unless we make the necessary changes now, 2022 could be worse. About a third of major global healthcare organizations have already suffered a ransomware attack in 2020 alone, and two-thirds of those incidents have been successful.

2. Threat to Mobile Applications

Another major threat to the healthcare data security paradigm lies in the mobile medical applications ecosystem. With telehealth adoption skyrocketing – rising by 50% in Q1 2020 alone, helping make medical care more accessible – new risks have come up. Sensitive medical data is increasingly accessible through mobile devices that often do not have an adequate security coverage.

3. Interoperability Challenges

As hospitals ideate, integrate, and embrace a greater quantum digital services, interoperability could become a challenge. Most electronic health record (EHR) systems leverage proprietary design features that could hinder their communication with other systems, causing delays, or even errors, exposing sensitive data to unauthorized access.

4. IoT Vulnerabilities

Another key technology trend with potentially troubling cybersecurity implications is the growing Internet of Things (IoT) adoption across the healthcare continuum. While many healthcare organizations worldwide have embraced the benefits of the IoT ecosystem to streamline their operations and improve upon data reporting, these devices are often left vulnerable in the absence of adequate cybersecurity measures.

Types of Attacks

5. Software / Hardware supply chain vulnerability

Companies integrate a wide variety of third-party system libraries and vendor supplied hardware to achieve seamless connectivity. These introduce a newer variety of security vulnerabilities in the system. The vendor supplied components and libraries should be assessed for security flaws. There should be a shared responsibilities approach in place to validate the modules.

Vendors must own the security of the elements before integration while companies must own the overall security of the devices and platforms after integration.

6. Zero-day vulnerabilities

With technology gaining rapid innovation pace. Every protocol, software library and framework get newer versions with shorter release cycles. Some of the releases are specific to the zero-day vulnerabilities uncovered in the protocol, library, and frameworks. Companies must own the responsibility of updating the systems with newer versions which would include incorporating the security patches into the latest releases with seamless update process.

7. Zero trust policy

With the increase in number of zero-day vulnerabilities, Companies should adopt a zero-trust policy in the development and management of the systems. It is required that companies adopt a secure development lifecycle with a zero trust policy. “Never trust, always verify” is the idea of zero trust policy.