The Most Common Security Challenges in the Medical Industry

Security issues are a common challenge faced by many industries, but there are particular concerns related to the medical industry that cannot go unnoticed. The transformation of digital platforms means that cyber threats are at an all time high, and medical devices and innovations are at risk. These connected devices increase the need for additional safety measures so that hackers cannot access sensitive data or gain the ability to modify technology that could potentially cause harm to patients. Whether you’re a manufacturer or a research facility, you need to have a strong awareness of the security challenges your industry is facing and how to overcome them. Here are some of the most common threats and a handful of solutions that may help your business to work through these potential dangers.

Cyber Threats

As mentioned earlier, cyber threats are at an all time high, especially when it comes to medical devices. Making sure these life-saving devices are secure is paramount, not only for your business but for the safety of your clients. You may want to look into cybersecurity options for your medical business if this is relevant to the products you are providing. Having additional measures in place will not only create more credibility for your medical device business, but it will also provide your patients with peace of mind that they are safe from any suspicious online attacks.

Inadequate Training

Healthcare environments are extremely busy and there may not always be time to carry out in depth training with the professionals in the establishment. Training can be a challenge that can cause data-security breaches, so it’s important to start prioritizing these programs for everyone in the workplace. Spending more time and effort on in depth security training can prevent breaches form happening and provide employees with more confidence on how to tackle potential breaches in the future.

Outdated Technology

In the medical industry, technology can be extremely costly to repair, and it may not always seem like a priority to your employees. However, when a workplace is operating with outdated and older technology, there are more vulnerabilities and security breach chances for hackers. Up to date technology is much easier to secure and much harder for criminals to bypass. If you have any scope in your budget to update software and technology, it is almost certainly going to benefit the safety and security of your intellectual property, patient data and medical devices.

Human Error

Making mistakes is all part of being human, but there are serious consequences of human error when it comes to security in the medical industry. A patient’s privacy or health could be at serious risk if someone makes the wrong call. This is why advanced training on avoiding data leaks, phishing scams and other online threats will always be very useful for employees working in the healthcare sector.

Easy-to-Guess Passwords

At any point in the day, your employees are probably inputting a password into a system. Whether it’s their own personal laptop, or a piece of business equipment, it’s important to lock-down passwords and make sure that accounts are not easy to hack or bypass. Teaching your staff how to create a strong password, and keep data safe can completely transform the security of your medical business. Weak passwords are a common cause of data breaches and compromised medical information, so this should be a high priority when it comes to employee training.

Lack of Testing

If your company doesn’t already conduct regular penetration tests, you could be missing out on vital information with regards to data protection. A penetration test simulates a real cyber attack so that you can learn where the downfalls are in your system. When you’re able to assess these strengths and weaknesses, you can add even further protection to prevent unauthorized access in the future. A professional cybersecurity company will be able to help you put all of these additional security measures in place and carry out in depth testing to see if there are any flaws in your current system.

As you can see, there are numerous threats that could pose a serious risk to your innovations, medical devices, and future patients. By implementing the solutions outlined above, your business will be able to avoid potential threats and steer clear from security breaches that could have fatal and costly consequences. Whether you’re providing further training, or looking into cybersecurity solutions for your medical device business, you can have peace of mind that you have done everything within your power to protect your intellectual property and the physical devices used by your patients.