Trustwave's 2024 Financial Services Threat Reports Highlight Alarming Trends in Insider Threats & Phishing-as-a-Service. Learn More

Trustwave's 2024 Financial Services Threat Reports Highlight Alarming Trends in Insider Threats & Phishing-as-a-Service. Learn More

Services
Managed Detection & Response

Eliminate active threats with 24/7 threat detection, investigation, and response.

Co-Managed SOC (SIEM)

Maximize your SIEM investment, stop alert fatigue, and enhance your team with hybrid security operations support.

Advisory & Diagnostics

Advance your cybersecurity program and get expert guidance where you need it most.

Penetration Testing

Test your physical locations and IT infrastructure to shore up weaknesses before exploitation.

Database Security

Prevent unauthorized access and exceed compliance requirements.

Email Security

Stop email threats others miss and secure your organization against the #1 ransomware attack vector.

Digital Forensics & Incident Response

Prepare for the inevitable with 24/7 global breach response in-region and available on-site.

Firewall & Technology Management

Mitigate risk of a cyberattack with 24/7 incident and health monitoring and the latest threat intelligence.

Solutions
BY TOPIC
Microsoft Security
Unlock the full power of Microsoft Security
Offensive Security
Solutions to maximize your security ROI
Rapidly Secure New Environments
Security for rapid response situations
Securing the Cloud
Safely navigate and stay protected
Securing the IoT Landscape
Test, monitor and secure network objects
Why Trustwave
About Us
Awards and Accolades
Trustwave SpiderLabs Team
Trustwave Fusion Security Operations Platform
Trustwave Security Colony
Partners
Technology Alliance Partners
Key alliances who align and support our ecosystem of security offerings
Trustwave PartnerOne Program
Join forces with Trustwave to protect against the most advance cybersecurity threats

Sen. Mark Warner Calls for Better Cybersecurity for the Healthcare Industry

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) issued the 35-page report Cybersecurity on Patient Safety on November 3, which called the ongoing transition to better cybersecurity for the healthcare sector as being painfully slow and inadequate. This is despite the fact the healthcare sector is uniquely vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Warner said patient safety is directly tied to a healthcare facility’s cybersecurity capabilities and can no longer be treated as a secondary function, but must become incorporated into every organization’s business model.

The report noted that the healthcare sector is vulnerable to cyberattacks due to its reliance on legacy technology, having a wide and highly varied attack surface that grows larger every day as new medical IoT devices are added. The fact that most healthcare facilities are high-pressure environments where even the slightest delay can have life-or-death consequences, funding, and an outdated mode of thinking that views cybersecurity as a secondary or tertiary concern.

“Equally as important, cybersecurity policies and their implementation must start upstream to benefit all stakeholders downstream. Equipment must be designed and built with cybersecurity at its core, and regulations and government actions must account for cybersecurity at every step of the way,” Warner said in the report’s conclusion.

The report’s three sections address how Warner believes the federal government can help the healthcare industry reach this goal.

  • Improving federal leadership and our national risk posture
  • Improving healthcare providers’ cybersecurity capabilities through incentives and requirements
  • Federal help with cyber emergency preparedness and recovery from cyberattacks

Trustwave’s 7 Steps to Secure a Healthcare Facility

  1. Improve Email Security – Email is the primary avenue used by threat actors to gain access to a network. Not just in healthcare but when attacking any organization. However, when it comes to healthcare, many attackers rely on business email compromise (BEC) as their primary weapon.
  2. Be Ready for Ransomware – Ransomware is potentially the most dangerous threat facing a healthcare facility, not just because it can damage or destroy expensive equipment. Such an attack can be lethal.
  3. Bolster IoT Device Defense – Modern healthcare facilities utilize a great deal of connected medical equipment, which means they are highly susceptible to Internet of Things (IoT) attacks.
  4. Harden Your Supply Chain – Suppliers and third-party partners also present a risk as outside entities often have access to or even house-protected health information (PHI), personally identifiable information (PII), and other protected information.
  5. Adhere to Password and Credential Best Practices – The need to maintain a strong password program is obvious by the number of stolen login credentials found for sale on the Dark Web. In addition to the previously mentioned system access being sold, Trustwave SpiderLabs found leaked emails with login credentials and stolen browser sessions that allow adversaries to log into the healthcare facility's website all being advertised on the Dark Web.
  6. Train Your Talent – All the best technology and processes however, are next to useless unless an organization properly trains its staff. The human element makes the difference between having a successfully defended perimeter and one that an attacker can breach.
  7. Test Your Defenses – Once your staff is as sharp as a spear and the technical side of the organization is locked down, the next step is to ensure it is working properly through testing.

19203_healthcare

Helping the healthcare industry remain safe and secure it a priority for Trustwave. Please contact our sales team or sign up for a demo at the link above.

ABOUT TRUSTWAVE

Trustwave is a globally recognized cybersecurity leader that reduces cyber risk and fortifies organizations against disruptive and damaging cyber threats. Our comprehensive offensive and defensive cybersecurity portfolio detects what others cannot, responds with greater speed and effectiveness, optimizes client investment, and improves security resilience. Learn more about us.

Latest Intelligence

Discover how our specialists can tailor a security program to fit the needs of
your organization.

Request a Demo