Business Backup Solutions Provider, Comport, Discusses How IoT Medical Devices Can Be Kept Safe and What to Do If an Attack Hits
RAMSEY, N.J., Aug. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Business backup solutions provider, Comport, shares some tips on using IoT medical technology without increasing security risks to your network.
The Internet of Things continues to offer plenty of benefits for both healthcare facilities and patients, but there are some security concerns to be aware of. Learning more about the risks and benefits of IoT in the healthcare setting will help ensure your patient and facility data is always safe and that your patients get the full benefit of this emerging technology.
According to a recent survey, the average hospital has 10 or more devices per bed – multiply that number by the bed count for the entire facility and there potentially thousands of devices attached to your network. IoT devices work by transmitting data to your network so that your providers can have real time access to important details.
This connection can also put your network at risk, since any one of your connected devices could be corrupted and turned against you by someone seeking unauthorized access. Healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson found this out the hard way in 2016. The brand discovered their IoT equipped insulin pumps were vulnerable to hacking; this situation exposed patients to far more than data theft.
A hacker could trigger a remote overdose of insulin, simply by exploiting the identified weakness. The brand notified thousands of physicians and users about the flaw and created a security protocol. While no one was injured, this incident serves as a warning about interconnected and IoT devices and a call for rigorous security for these normally beneficial tools.
Making IoT Devices Safe
The following steps can ensure IoT medical devices are safe:
Increase employee and patient awareness of the need for security: In some cases, patients or providers themselves increase risk by failing to track or secure equipment. Increasing security awareness will enhance safety for your IoT users.
Pay attention to manufacturer notices: Manufacturers are constantly working to improve IoT devices and to ensure they are not able to be breached by hackers. Security patches, updates and advised steps should be followed as recommended. If you can't manage this, find someone who can...hackers love to exploit known issues.
Segment and track equipment: Do you know where all your devices are? If not, you could be exposing your facility to unwanted risk. Track medical devices with and use a segmented server to prevent access to your entire system, just in case.
Have reliable disaster recovery in place: If the worst happens and your system is attacked, a reliable backup system that is stored offsite with a disaster recovery plan will help you recover and resume operations quickly.
IoT medical devices change lives; but you must also pay attention to the potential risk they pose, make sure you take steps to ensure your network and patients remain safe.
Since 1982, award-winning IT services partner Comport has helped to improve enterprise digital architectures for healthcare companies across the world. Our customers include leading enterprises in Hospitals and Healthcare, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Media, Retail, Law Firms, and Universities. ComportSecure Backup as a Service Provider has established a cutting edge cloud-based solution for cloud managed services. ComportSecure solutions provided include Advanced IT Datacenters, Mobility Security and Networking.
SOURCE Comport
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