In particular, threats to the healthcare network have created a great deal of concern as we wrap up another year to see the volume and variety of cyberattacks increasing across industries.
In early December 2020, researchers revealed that since September, an international phishing campaign targeting organizations affiliated with the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines had been underway and, in late October, the U.S. government released an alert citing “credible information to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers about an increased and imminent cybercrime threat.”
While the cyber vulnerabilities of the healthcare network are not fresh, cyber-criminals target the healthcare industry more than any other industry, and stolen medical information is worth 10 times more than stolen black market payment data, the alert, and the cyberattacks that preceded and followed it, illustrate the specific vulnerabilities faced by healthcare organizations.
With almost one-third of hospital personnel lacking sufficient cybersecurity training and over 80% of hospital systems operating on obsolete software, although their predominant emphasis is on treating patients with Covid-19, it is now ideal for attackers to strike. Healthcare systems must concentrate on growing their protection within their organization and maintaining hospital networks in good health. This does not entail a complete security upgrade but rather a thoughtful approach to strengthening network defences and a commitment to set safety standards implemented by trusted partners and other third-party suppliers.
How to Strengthen Healthcare Networks Against Cyberattacks?
1. Enhance your perimeter of defense
The number of connected devices is rapidly widening the field of attack for healthcare organizations. Because multiple suppliers are used by almost every healthcare company, the supply chain ecosystem involves not just the connection between a piece of technology and the network it reaches but the outside world, which makes them ripe for cyberattacks. This can have dangerous effects.
2. Cyberthreats in healthcare Network: An API-First approach to security
In June, a group of 19 vulnerabilities known as Ripple20 malware was found to have affected hundreds of millions of connected devices, including Internet of Things (IoT) medical devices. These vulnerabilities “rippled out” to affect other networks and devices that share a shared access point somewhere along the way. However, they may not have directly interacted with the infected system, which opened them to attack. The total effect of Ripple20 remains unknown to date, as many IT administrators and security leaders do not even know they are infected with their computers.
By deploying a cloud-based recursive DNS service to block threats at the first point of contact and prevent malware from accessing networks or endpoints, one way to defend against such vulnerabilities is. Using a 100% cloud-based service is a cost-effective way to guarantee that your perimeter is secured from all-origin cyberattacks.
3. Prepare for Small DDoS Attacks on Your Healthcare Network
The Security Operations Center of Neustar saw a 151% rise in the number of DDoS attacks overall in the first half of 2020 compared to the same time in 2019, with the number of minimal cyberattacks, sized 5 Gbps and below, rising by more than 200%.
Although many healthcare organizations now use a DDoS solution, the emphasis appears on large DDoS attacks. Traffic thresholds are typically set to a level that may allow very tiny attacks to skirt through unnoticed. Increases in attack complexity and severity have mirrored the rise in more minor DDoS assaults.
Between January 2020 and June 2020, more than half of the threats mitigated by Neustar leveraged three or more vectors. There was also an increase in new amplification methods and higher-intensity attacks targeting vital pieces of web infrastructure. Companies need to understand that DDoS attacks can always be used as a diversionary strategy to divert sensitive infrastructure from data exfiltration or a more focused attack.
Your corporate healthcare network can not be as secure as you think it is, between trusted vendors having access to networks and the potential to go undetected for small-scale DDoS attacks. If they keep attack traffic just low enough to circumvent any traffic thresholds that would automatically signal an incursion, an attacker can do quite a bit of harm. It’s already too late when the intrusion is noticed; the intruder knows they need to inflict damage—ensuring that both small and large threats can be tracked efficiently by your company and each of your trusted partners.
4. Curate better warnings for protection.
It is essential to integrate vendor-identifiable information into monitoring threat intelligence to improve your supply chain’s security. Besides, make sure that threats from around the globe are sourced from your service provider.
Even if current threats come from a single location, the internet is global. You never know where the next threat can originate.
Finally, use a service that adopts a curated approach to delivering threat data. This prevents IT teams from experiencing warning fatigue.
In a recent Neustar survey, security decision-makers reported that 26% of their organization’s warnings are false positives. Using a threat intelligence service with curated threat data reduces the time spent on false positives. This allows IT workers to spend more time solving real security problems.
5. Playing offense against the challenges of the present and future.
Today’s world relies on a specialized, global supply chain. This supply chain lets companies focus on their capabilities. They can outsource other needs to specialized firms.
Technology supply chains play a crucial role in healthcare networks and organizations. Organizations can stay ahead of the next major threat. They can strengthen their protection parameters to create a more robust defense. By tracking both small and large DDoS threats, they ensure comprehensive coverage. Additionally, they can ensure the security team receives well-managed and timely threat data. This approach empowers them to stay confident in their ability to protect against existing and emerging threats.
Conclusion
As cyber threats continue to target healthcare organizations, it’s critical to take proactive steps in securing networks and systems. The rising volume and sophistication of attacks, such as phishing campaigns and DDoS threats, underline the vulnerabilities healthcare providers face. Strengthening protection parameters, tracking both large and small threats, and implementing a curated approach to threat intelligence can help organizations stay ahead of cybercriminals. By addressing these vulnerabilities, healthcare networks can mitigate risks and maintain their ability to provide critical services without interruption.
In addition, enhancing cybersecurity within the healthcare sector requires collaboration with trusted partners and an emphasis on proper training and system updates. Organizations must focus on securing their supply chain, preparing for diverse attack vectors, and ensuring that their defense mechanisms are robust enough to handle evolving threats. Through these efforts, healthcare providers can improve their protection, minimize data breaches, and build a more secure environment to safeguard patient data and operational integrity.
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