Capitalising on cybersecurity to accelerate performance in the healthcare sector

Jonathon Dixon, Vice President and Managing Director – APJC, Cloudflare highlights that the healthcare sector is witnessing an increase in both the frequency and complexity of cybersecurity risks, driven by the industry’s exploration of digital innovations. Beyond adhering to regulatory guidelines, healthcare organisations must establish specific measures to fortify their systems

In today’s rapidly digitising landscape, cybersecurity has taken center stage as a critical factor in the success of organisations across various industries. With the help of a robust security plan, an organisation operating in any industry can safeguard its technological assets from malicious cyberattacks. Ensuring the safety of these assets through a strong security strategy is paramount, particularly in a sector like healthcare, where any breach or attack on the IT infrastructure can directly impact human lives. Furthermore, an effective cybersecurity approach will protect stakeholders in healthcare institutions including healthcare professionals and workers, suppliers, and most importantly, the patients.

Securing healthcare systems post COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic posed an unprecedented challenge to the global healthcare system. The unexpected increase in patient volume overburdened the entire healthcare ecosystem, and in the absence of digital readiness, healthcare organisations became susceptible to cyberattacks. With the sudden shift to remote work, telemedicine, and growing dependence on digital systems, cybercriminals were able to capitalise on the chaos, and targeted healthcare institutions with various kinds of cyberattacks. These attacks were aimed to compromise sensitive data, causing substantial financial losses, disrupting operations, and tarnishing the reputations.

The real cost of a cyberattack

The healthcare sector can be particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks because of the vast amount of sensitive patient data it collects and retains. Of utmost concern is that any of the  most common types of attacks can jeopardise patient privacy, disrupt hospital operations, and even endanger lives. For example, data breaches, a type of cyberattack, have more than doubled in the past three years. In addition, the average cost of a data breach in India reached Rs 17.9 crore in 2023, marking an all-time high and nearly a 28 per cent increase since 2020.

Another challenge lies in the intricate nature of healthcare systems, involving numerous stakeholders such as healthcare providers, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and third-party suppliers. As each entity requires access to sensitive data, the potential for insider threats and accidental data breaches due to human errors or improper authorisation rises. While Electronic Health Records (EHRs), telemedicine, and other digital systems have streamlined the storage, access, and sharing of patient information, they have also introduced new vulnerabilities to cyberattacks and data breaches.

With India’s healthcare sector growing rapidly, the country has attracted unwelcoming attention from cybercriminals given the sheer amount of data involved. According to a 2022 report by the Indian Future Foundation, India ranked as the 10th most affected country by cyberattacks, with the healthcare sector impacted the most. These cyberattacks take various forms, from subtle data breaches compromising sensitive patient information to clever social engineering tactics exploiting legitimate user credentials. The report also underscores that ransomware remains a primary threat against healthcare institutions, with ransomware attacks surging by 51 percent globally in the first half of 2022 compared to the previous year.

Navigating cybersecurity complexities

Many organisations still lack a robust cybersecurity strategy and are ill-prepared to face the evolving threats. Budget constraints, limited resources, and a lack of awareness among healthcare professionals contribute to the vulnerability of the industry. Furthermore, the complexity of healthcare systems, often comprising legacy infrastructure, adds to the challenge of implementing robust security measures. By incorporating constant vigilance at each level, certain solutions can help prevent these attacks in healthcare organisations. 

Securing the way forward

The healthcare sector is witnessing an increase in both the frequency and complexity of cybersecurity risks, driven by the industry’s exploration of digital innovations. Beyond adhering to regulatory guidelines, healthcare organisations must establish specific measures to fortify their systems. For most cybercriminals, the primary goal is to get unauthorised access to patient data. To address these constantly-evolving challenges and security threats, it has become imperative for healthcare organisations to adopt a comprehensive and proactive approach towards cybersecurity.

To enhance the performance of the healthcare ecosystem, organisations can implement several cybersecurity solutions.

Mitigate Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks: A DDoS attack can disrupt services and seriously compromise patient care. It is imperative to leverage advanced threat intelligence and mitigation techniques to detect and block malicious traffic, ensuring that healthcare websites and applications remain accessible even during peak times and in the face of attacks. By mitigating the impact of DDoS attacks, healthcare organisations can maintain uninterrupted service delivery, minimise downtime, and safeguard patient care.

Safeguard patient data from malicious bots: Protecting patient data is of paramount importance in healthcare. Malicious bots can jeopardise patient data privacy and system integrity. A bot management solution can be deployed by advanced machine learning algorithms to identify and mitigate malicious bot traffic. By blocking automated threats such as account takeover attacks and credential stuffing attempts, healthcare organisations can protect patient data from unauthorised access and manipulation. This not only ensures data privacy and integrity, but also preserves the trust and confidence of patients in the healthcare system.

Secure remote workforce access: The shift towards remote work and telehealth services has created new challenges in securing access to healthcare systems and data. By implementing a Zero Trust model or a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution, healthcare organisations can ensure that only authorised users with proper credentials can access sensitive healthcare systems and data. This mitigates the risk of unauthorised access and data breaches, allowing healthcare professionals to securely connect to critical resources from anywhere. Zero Trust enables healthcare organisations to embrace flexible work arrangements while maintaining robust security measures.

Harnessing the potential of cybersecurity to drive performance within the healthcare sector is not just a strategic choice but an imperative necessity. The healthcare sector is vulnerable in the face of evolving problems and security threats. To safeguard patient data, critical healthcare operations and patient safety, healthcare organisations must establish a comprehensive cybersecurity plan. By capitalising on these solutions, healthcare organisations can fortify their defenses, accelerate performance, and build an efficient ecosystem that prioritises patient care, data privacy, and operational excellence.

It is crucial for healthcare institutions to invest in effective cybersecurity solutions now in order to operate efficiently and successfully. Recent findings from the “Securing the Future: Asia Pacific Cybersecurity Readiness Survey” highlight that 55 per cent of Indian respondents allocated between 11 per cent and 20 per cent of their total IT budget to cybersecurity. Notably, the Media and Telecoms (44 per cent), Retail (42 per cent), and Healthcare (35 per cent) sectors were the most inclined to allocate 21 per cent or more of their IT budget to cybersecurity. This will only lead to a more secure and resilient healthcare sector that takes a proactive approach towards cybersecurity.