What is IoT Healthcare?

Internet of Things (IoT) – which is the large scale network of devices that communicate with one another via the internet – continues to grow at an exponential rate. And the healthcare industry is at the center of this movement. The Internet of Things is transforming how hospitals and other healthcare facilities manage data, carry out key processes, and analyze trends. It’s also having a direct impact on physicians, patients, and their interactions.

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What is IoT Healthcare

Securing IoT in Healthcare

Healthcare organizations have no choice but to connect devices to the Internet. It affords tremendous flexibility, efficiency, and scalability. But in doing so, hospitals, outpatient facilities, and doctor offices are exposed to new and evolving cyber threats.

 

In 2019, an estimated 40 million patient records were exposed across thousands of incidents involving hospitals and healthcare facilities. And each year, these numbers increase.

 

Whether your healthcare organization realizes it or not, you’re more susceptible than ever to risks like data breaches, ransomware, and cyber attacks. These breaches have the potential to compromise patient privacy, deteriorate your organization’s trust with the marketplace, and cost you millions of dollars in fees, fines, and lost revenue.

 

Securing IoT in healthcare isn’t just a hot topic – it’s a critically important topic for discerning healthcare leaders who want to position their organizations for future growth.

Tip Tips for Securing IoT Devices in Healthcare

Cyber security for healthcare IoT is a core focal point of the industry – today, tomorrow, and indefinitely. Here are some practical tips hospitals and other healthcare facilities can use to neutralize threats and maximize protection moving forward:

 

  • Firewalls. A firewall is a network security device that monitors, analyzes, and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on pre-established security policies. As the name suggests, it acts as a barrier between a healthcare organization’s internal network and the public internet. It lets good traffic in and keeps harmful traffic out.
  • IoT Auto-Segmentation. With IoT auto-segmentation, healthcare organizations can minimize risk exposure with careful, auto-generated policies. This saves months of configurations and ensures your devices are secure from the very start. It can also be used to block unauthorized access to and from IoT devices, while ensuring devices only use intended communication protocols.
  • Password hygiene. Proper password hygiene must be practiced in order to maintain proper healthcare security. Developing stronger policies in regards to password complexity is only the start. Passwords must also be regularly updated.
  • Multi-Factor authentication. In healthcare settings, multi-factor authentication is a must. This may include typical two-factor authentication with passcodes sent to separate devices all the way up to biometric access to physical spaces and resources.

Choosing the Right Security solutions for IoT in Healthcare

IoT healthcare security isn’t something you do on a DIY basis. In order to move your organization forward and avoid the pitfalls and vulnerabilities that so many companies in this space are falling victim to, you must make a tangible investment. Part of this process involves choosing the right security solutions for IoT in healthcare.

 

When looking for an IoT healthcare security solution, start by analyzing the reputation of the provider. How long have they been in business? What’s their reputation?

 

Compliance is obviously a huge concern as well. Verify that all medical records will maintain compliance with HIPAA and other requirements.

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