Role of EDR in Healthcare

Healthcare institutions face massive competition and immense pressure to implement the latest technologies. In this rush of IT growth, security is often neglected. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) for healthcare institutions is a new development but quickly becoming a crucial component of cybersecurity programs.  

Let’s look at the role EDR plays in protecting healthcare institutions from data breaches and cyberattacks.     

EDR for Healthcare: Coping with the aftermath of the pandemic 

The pandemic had the most dramatic impact on the healthcare industry. A significant consequence of the pandemic on healthcare was the introduction of remote work. It is difficult to imagine healthcare professionals working remotely, but non-essential personnel moved their operations home during the pandemic. Tasks like billing, patient intake and onboarding, medical records management, and community relations were shifted to remote locations.  

With the introduction of remote work, integration of EDR in healthcare institutions became critical. Healthcare professionals lack cybersecurity awareness and rarely receive necessary security training. Remote workers are now one of the greatest vulnerabilities in the healthcare sector.  

In this landscape, EDR solutions are a boon for healthcare organizations. EDR solutions cover remote worker vulnerabilities by monitoring endpoint devices, analyzing user behavior, and securing confidential data.  

EDR solutions mitigate challenges in managing healthcare IoT 

EDR in healthcare is central to managing risks involved with medical devices connected to the internet. Typical healthcare institutes have hundreds of devices connected to the network, but cybersecurity policies do not cover these devices. EDR solves the complexity of managing security for IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) devices.  

Next-generation EDR solutions assess the criticality and vulnerability of each endpoint device. All medical devices connected to the internet are monitored round-the-clock and visible within the cybersecurity infrastructure. AI-powered EDR solutions analyze the function and behavior of each device and send out alerts when any suspicious activity occurs.  

EDR providers meet security and compliance requirements 

Medical devices need to be HIPAA and FDA-compliant. Many medical device manufacturers overlook compliance requirements related to privacy and protection of health information. Any data containing personally identifiable information such as name, social security number, and the concerned person’s health information is protected under HIPAA and FDA rules.  

Since many medical devices do not come with in-built security, EDR plays a central role in securing those devices. EDR solutions can perform risk analysis and vulnerability assessments on medical devices to ensure that all data protection compliances are met. Managed security and EDR providers also deliver audit-ready device compliance reports to healthcare institutions.   

EDR for healthcare facilitates telemedicine  

Telemedicine has been a rising trend since the pandemic. Patients in remote or rural locations can connect with experienced healthcare practitioners, and patients with compromised immune systems can access diagnoses from the safety of their homes. While telemedicine has immense benefits, patients and healthcare professionals have privacy concerns related to remote connections.  

Healthcare institutes investing in robust endpoint security can assure their remote patients that consultations will be completely private, with no unauthorized third parties listening in. Also, remote patient healthcare data is protected from breaches and leaks.  

In Conclusion 

A lot has changed in the last two years. The healthcare sector has become one of the top three industries targeted by cybercriminals, and medical data breaches are at an all-time high. The proliferation of IoMT devices has expanded the attack surface, and the advent of remote work has made healthcare institutes vulnerable to cyberattacks.  

Endpoint security and EDR solutions are necessary for healthcare institutes in this threat landscape. Managed EDR providers such as Ace Cloud Hosting ensures a secure endpoint environment for healthcare institutes. With round-the-clock monitoring, a proactive approach to cybersecurity, world-class threat intelligence, and dedicated threat hunting, Ace Managed EDR is the endpoint security solution your healthcare institute needs.

Resource - https://acemanagedsecurity.blogspot.com/2022/08/role-of-edr-in-healthcare.html