Generally, medical devices carry high-stakes data and information about patients and other sensitive treatment details that are highly profitable for cybercriminals. With unlawful access to patients’ medical history, they can easily harm the reputation of the patients by disclosing such information to the public, or worse, to other offenders.
Thus, the medical devices that store such critical information are vulnerable from a cybersecurity standpoint. The present medical devices used in the hospitals, including defibrillators and radiological imaging systems, are not designed with the security factor in mind. As a result, the chances of data leaks in connected medical devices are increasing exponentially.
Protecting each patient’s medical history in a medical institution is not an easy task. This blog will look at four ways of managing cybersecurity incidents, such as data leaks in connected medical device solutions.
Six Ways to Manage Data Leaks in Medical Devices
Healthcare companies can adopt the following ways to increase the effectiveness of cybersecurity in medical device solutions
1.Keep a constant check on the current security risks
Constant security audits are the key to keeping the data in medical devices secure from attacks. Following the HIPPA rules, the experts who manage the data and store them should conduct a security risk analysis every year and review the policy to detect the loopholes in security.
2.Limit user access to health records
Since there are hundreds of people associated with the functioning of a healthcare organization, it is of immense importance to keep an eye on the users. In sending medical records to patients, it should be through HIPAA compliant online fax service, and there should be protected access permissions based on the user’s profile. In this way, only those entitled to the information can access data.
3.Update your IT Infrastructure and software frequently.
Hackers are always on the hunt to gain access to your data. The older the version, the easier it is for the hackers to access your medical devices and equipment. Updating software regularly helps keep the system safe and lowers the risk of cyber-attacks. Teams with extensive expertise in healthcare software development can help organizations update their medical device solutions and make them resistant to the latest cyber threats.
4.Implement Data Management Guidelines for cybersecurity
Two of the most cited healthcare privacy regulations are Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA) in the U.S. and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union for managing data healthcare privacy.
These guidelines are a good place to understand what controls should be included in medical device solutions. These regulations have requirements that must be followed by various stakeholders that store, collect or process medical data.
5.Keep data integrity in check
Ensuring data integrity is important to avoid theft and data alteration in connected medical devices. One of the best ways to do that is by having reliable data backups stored separately and securely. Using encryption directly proportional to the amount of risk posed to the data is advisable. In addition, organizations should maintain emergency access procedures in case of data alteration or removal.
6.Ensure Accountability from Your Medical Device Manufactures (MDMs)
Your medical device manufacturer needs to be proactive about identifying and reducing risks when building such devices. This ensures cybersecurity is incorporated within medical devices right from the beginning.
Following are the minimum requirements your MDM should fulfil:
- Understand where vulnerabilities can be introduced during development (i.e., during design, implementation, and through third-party software components) and how to prevent those vulnerabilities.
- Offer a contract that guarantees the cybersecurity of the device.
- Offer secure installation and ongoing support for cybersecurity.
Conclusion
Managing cybersecurity in connected medical devices is crucial for healthcare. Doctors and clinicians require access to high-quality data derived from connected medical devices to impart good standards of healthcare services. Managing data privacy calls for a combination of robust security strategies and solutions. It is important to ensure that you comply with regulations and prevent harm to the patient or your business.
Choosing the right medical device solutions platform can significantly improve your ability to guard your network from the ever-changing landscape of digital threats.