Today’s healthcare is more interconnected than ever. However, with the Internet of Things (IoT), particularly when it comes to medical devices, all of this interconnectivity can lead to vulnerabilities and exploits. Although connected medical devices have greatly improved patient care, each connected healthcare IoT device, if left unsecured, can also serve as an entry point for cyber attacks.
As a healthcare organization, real-time threat detection software is your first line of defense against such exploits. However, implementing real-time threat detection isn’t without its challenges.
Sheer Number of Devices
A typical hospital has thousands of interconnected devices which makes it difficult to keep an accurate and up-to-date inventory of what’s connected where. It then becomes a challenge to monitor which healthcare IoT devices are connected and which may have vulnerabilities that need to be addressed quickly.
Beyond the sheer number of devices, there’s also the dynamic environment of medical devices themselves. Pumps, monitors and other medical devices are added, moved and retired regularly. To stay on top of these changes, having automated, real-time updates and visibility into your healthcare IoT asset inventory is crucial. Without this visibility, real-time threat detection is impossible.
Out-of-Date Device Firmware
Healthcare IoT devices face constant threats from ransomware, malware, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. On top of these threats, the devices themselves suffer from outdated firmware, weak credentials and limited built-in security. Real-time threat detection helps healthcare organizations and IT administrators identify devices with weaknesses so they can patch and protect these devices before they are compromised.
Constrained Resources
Many healthcare organizations do not have the personnel or the experience needed to handle cybersecurity threats. This hinders their ability to detect and respond to threats that may attempt to access critical private patient data.
Increase in Cyber Attacks
Due to the interconnectedness of machines and devices, the healthcare industry as a whole has seen a significant rise in cyber attacks. These attacks can potentially exploit vulnerabilities in connected devices and lead to severe data breaches.
To illustrate the severity of the issue, first consider network-connected infusion pumps. These devices deliver specific doses of medication to patients. Now let’s assume that due to a known vulnerability in the device’s firmware, the device manufacturer released a software update to patch the vulnerability. Unfortunately, however, busy information security and/or biomedical teams in the hospital either weren’t aware of the issue and the patch, or may not have had the bandwidth to manually update thousands of vulnerable infusion pumps—each requiring a technician to physically apply the firmware update. As a result, some infusion pumps are now open and exposed to a potential attack. As an example, a threat actor could obtain access to the hospital network through a phishing email targeting an employee. Once inside, they could then move laterally across the network, identifying vulnerable IoT devices.
If they discover vulnerable infusion pumps, threat actors intent on causing patient harm could try to manipulate multiple pumps. For example, threat actors could potentially alter medication dosages, putting patients’ lives at risk.
Issues like these are no longer relegated to the world of science fiction or even horror. They’re becoming more serious, with the potential to disrupt thousands upon thousands of lives. For this reason, installing real-time threat detection software purpose-built for the unique needs of healthcare IoT and connected medical devices is a must.
How Can Real-Time Threat Detection Software Help?
Real-time threat detection capabilities, such as those included in the Cylera platform, can help hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations take control of their IoT cybersecurity and proactively manage threats before they cause major disruptions. Here’s how:
Detailed Device Visibility
Cylera offers real-time discovery and inventory of all connected medical devices, including new and previously unknown devices. This ongoing visibility ensures that no device goes unmonitored, which in turn reduces the risk of vulnerability exploitation across the network.
Detailed Threat Detection and Prioritization
By leveraging advanced machine learning, Cylera is able to filter out false positives and focus on genuine threats. The system correlates vulnerabilities, network behavior, and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to determine whether or not a device has been compromised, helping security teams concentrate on actual security issues.
Automated Response and Remediation
One of the biggest benefits of real-time threat detection is its ability to integrate into your existing security infrastructure to contain threats and provide guidance on how to mitigate the issue. Cylera offers deep threat context and works with both network access control (NAC) and firewall solutions to assist with proper network segmentation to protect healthcare IoMT devices.
Better Risk Management
Platforms like Cylera assess and prioritize risk associated with each device, helping healthcare organizations address the most critical vulnerabilities quickly. Cylera provides precise risk scoring based on a variety of factors to help streamline resources and improve the organization’s overall security posture.
Minimal Operations Downtime
Hospitals depend on the uninterrupted functioning of their devices. A cyberattack that disrupts, for instance, heart monitors or imaging systems, can paralyze operations while delaying critical procedures. Real-time detection helps healthcare organizations take immediate action, helping to prevent threats from escalating and avoiding downtime.
Getting Started with Real-Time Threat Detection
Healthcare device connectivity will only continue to grow. This is why it’s so important for healthcare organizations to adopt a strong security posture and take steps to protect healthcare IoT and connected medical devices and safeguard patient privacy and care.
Cylera provides comprehensive healthcare IoT device monitoring designed to help reduce risks associated with data breaches and exploits. We empower teams large and small to mitigate threats while building a solid healthcare cybersecurity program. Our detailed security monitoring and real-time threat detection capabilities are trusted by thousands of hospitals and clinics around the world thanks to our:
- Real-time Healthcare Internet of Things (HIoT) asset inventory
- Dynamic HIoT security monitoring
- Efficient HIoT threat response
- Streamlined risk mitigation
- Audit readiness and compliance support
We invite you to learn more about how Cylera works and how our scalable platform helps you achieve your healthcare goals with superior usage telemetry, threat prioritization, detailed inventory management, and step-by-step remediation. Request a demo directly from our website and one of our cybersecurity experts will take the time to understand your healthcare IoT security goals and how Cylera can help you meet these threats head-on.
