Cybersecurity requirements for the healthcare industry during the age of COVID have become even more onerous than before. Risks and threats continue to mount for information technology (IT) and security leaders worldwide. Over half of the healthcare organizations in America alone experienced data leaks or data breaches in 2020, with that number trending up as the pandemic continues.

So what can healthcare facilities and companies do to protect themselves? Since implementing and managing a 24/7 in-house security team can be difficult and expensive, a managed detection and response (MDR) provider can help.

The Rise of Security Threats in Healthcare

Healthcare as an industry represents a modern-day gold mine of valuable patient data for cyber criminals. Ransomware and other attacks have resulted in the loss of financial and other confidential personally identifiable information (PII) that can be used in identification fraud. On average, it can take between three to nine months to discover a threat to your network, and by the time that threat is uncovered, oftentimes the damage has been done.

As if trying to secure your enterprise wasn’t challenging enough, the complexities of coping with compliance issues like HIPAA, HITRUST, PCI, and SOX make day-to-day operations even more daunting. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) determined that nearly seven in ten healthcare organizations were non-compliant with HIPAA regulations. It doesn’t help that HIPAA has been purposefully vague on how to secure enterprises.

The HITRUST cybersecurity framework (CSF) came along in 2007 and has been more precise about managing and protecting patient data. But it’s quickly becoming increasingly complex and difficult to implement. HITRUST boasts 19 domains and over 160 CSF controls with an even more intricate version expected in 2022.

How MDR Providers Can Help

The goal in bringing aboard an MDR provider is to reduce the everyday risk of your organization by helping detect, manage, and mitigate network incursions on a 24/7 basis. According to Gartner®, “Successful MDR services providers package and deliver the following to buyers: Use of specific technologies that orchestrate and centralize threat detection, investigation and mitigation, and methods, such as the use of API-enabled integrations.”

Healthcare groups of all sizes utilize MDR providers to assist with data security, detection of bad actors, monitoring of applications such as EMRs, RIS/PACS, HIEs, etc., and regulation/compliance adherence. They can also help with ransomware prevention and incident response, monitoring of legacy medical devices, compliance adherence, ePHI protection, and IoMT monitoring.

How MDRs Help Fight Threats

Clear 24/7 Network Visibility: An effective MDR provider offers constant 24/7 visibility into your entire environment by rapidly identifying all endpoints and operating systems. By seeing what and who is connected to your network and their related risks, they can uncover vulnerabilities and blind spots that may expose you to an attack.

Mapping of Tools and Devices: This visibility also helps lead to the elimination of riskier assets. By mapping your network, MDR providers can determine which security and operational device will need to be patched or updated. By fixing or replacing devices before they fail, it helps lower your organization’s risk of an attack.

Threat Intelligence: MDR providers can monitor and understand threats globally, including where they’re coming from, what they look like, how they’re propagated, and how they behave once they hit a network. By gathering threat intelligence, they can track possible sources of ransomware, malware, viruses, spyware, trojan horses, worms, phishing, and more. etc.

Detection and Response: Teams of security analysts and engineers can monitor your environment constantly, looking for risks and threats. If one is detected, response teams will triage and contain any situation quickly and effectively to eliminate or reduce damage and loss of data. 

Compliance: IT and security leaders need to be able to balance compliance with security. Whether for HIPAA or PCI or a myriad of other state, federal or international mandates, an experienced MDR provider can help do that.

Team Training: With its experienced security personnel, an MDR provider can help train your in-house teams on critical protection measures and processes. Providing this valuable experience will improve your team’s capabilities and help alleviate risks.

For more about protecting your organization, contact the UncommonX team to request a demo of our XDR platform and talk about your specific security needs.