Healthcare: Cloud Security Threats to Watch Out For In 2021

1. Internet of Medical Things concerns: As IoT devices become prevalent and an increasingly integral part of the healthcare world, the cybersecurity risks have gone up as well. The only way to ensure safety in this regard is only via the manufacturers’ who must thoroughly test their devices before their market launch.

2. Ransomware and malware attacks: Easily among the most crucial threats posed to cybersecurity, malware attacks can wreak havoc on the healthcare facility. A good way to deal with such threats is ensuring the performance of regular backups to enable data recovery in the event of such an attack.

3. Employee errors: Some more common threats come from employees’ mistakes and phishing attacks. A network becomes vulnerable if an employee falls prey to a phishing scam while connected to the hospital’s network. To deal with this particular challenge, it is important to educate your employees about cybersecurity and safe internet surfing habits.

4. Insider threats: Contrary to popular belief, insider threats are far too common. So, while battling external threats is critical, it is equally important to take measures against insider threats as well. Using a security information event management system comes highly recommended for combating this type of threat.

5. Data breaches: A 2019 study found that it took healthcare organizations an average of 224 days to identify a data breach. Suffice it to say that that is a situation no one wants; not only that puts highly sensitive data at risk but can also cost the company dearly. Hence, safeguard against the risk via encryption, etc.

6. Third-party errors: Of course, no hospital ever runs the entire business entirely by itself, i.e. it typically relies on plenty of third-party providers to render services such as security, cleaning, etc. Now, there is always a chance that this personnel may have access to the network, which means they could intentionally or unintentionally cause damage to the facility. One way to avoid this risk is to ensure third-party services and providers are continually monitored and assessed for any threats.

No matter how much one may resist it, one simply can not deny the fact that cloud computing in the healthcare industry is here and how! While clearly, it faces many threats and risks, but none can not be easily dealt with with the right skills, tools, and technologies. So, if you too are keen on gaining some of the advantages that cloud computing has to offer to the world of healthcare, we recommend you start with looking for a trusted service provider to help you make a seamless transition to the cloud and also protect against the challenges that may come with this change.