How Hospitals Should Secure Data
Hospitals have always dealt with sensitive information, from medical records to private patient information. But as hospitals go digital, so does the threat of hacking. Now, hackers are targeting hospitals for everything from personal information to medical records–and even healthcare systems themselves.
The 3 keys to hospital data security
There are three keys to hospital data security:
- Encryption
- Endpoint protection (antivirus)
- Access rights
Encrypt data at all times
The simplest way to secure your data is to encrypt it at all times, including when it's stored on your computer, in transit over the internet and even after it's been processed by a machine. And this is a great method of cyber security in hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Encryption is not just about security; it's also about privacy. Encrypting patient information ensures that no one can see a patient’s information without permission—even if they have access to the database itself or can hack into an unsecured network connection between two computers in different locations (called “tunnelling”). If you need help deciding which type of encryption technology works best for different types of data (such as financial or health records), talk with an expert programmer who specialises in this area before making any decisions so that everyone stays safe!
Protect endpoints and data in transit
Endpoints and data in transit are vulnerable to hacking. Endpoints are computers, tablets and phones. Data in transit is data that is being transferred from one computer to another. Attackers can steal your personal information or access your medical records using the endpoint or data in transit.
You should protect endpoints with multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA requires more than one method of identification before granting access, like a password plus a biometric identifier like facial recognition or fingerprint scanning. You should also encrypt sensitive data at rest on endpoints as well as sensitive data travelling over the network through encryption technology like TLS/SSL certificates and IPsec VPNs
Ensure the right access rights in your data centre
As a general rule, you should never give everyone in your organisation the same access rights to your data. If you want to allow someone access to certain data but not others, create an account with the appropriate permissions. And don’t forget that some people will need different levels of access depending on their role and their level of trust with respect to that type of information.
Hospitals are trying to go paperless
When it comes to patient care, hospitals are trying to go paperless. Why? Because a paperless hospital is easier to manage and secure than one that's still using paper records. But hackers are making it difficult for hospitals to become digital-first institutions.
The benefits of going digital-first are many: You have instant access to all your information, you're able to share that data with other departments in the hospital more easily, and your staff can access what they need from anywhere at any time—which means less downtime when they're working with patients or updating their own files.
One of the most important aspects of data security for hospitals is having a solid defence system in place. This should include measures such as firewall protection, access controls, and encryption. Firewall protection helps to block outside threats from gaining access to sensitive data stored on the hospital’s systems. Access controls limits who can access certain areas of the network, preventing unauthorized users from accessing sensitive data. And encryption ensures that data is only accessible by those who have the right credentials.
Another important aspect of data security for hospitals is educating staff members on best practices for handling patient data. Employees should be trained on procedures to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive information. Additionally, they should be educated on spotting suspicious activity and taking the appropriate steps if they suspect a breach has occurred.
By implementing these measures, hospitals can ensure their data is secure and protect their patients from potential threats.