Data Protection — these are the key cybersecurity imperatives for Indian healthcare providers

The techade is here. We are witnessing a radical shift in the way technology is transforming healthcare in India. Digital platforms and connected devices have revolutionised the way healthcare services are delivered and accessed, promising efficiency and improving patient outcomes.

But, while the reliance on technology has accelerated in the last few years, especially after the pandemic, the healthcare sector faced nearly 1.9 million cyberattack events, recorded till November 2022, according to the Research done by CyberPeace Foundation (CPF).

Clearly, the digital transformation comes with a critical need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive patient data and ensure the secure functioning of healthcare systems.

Relevant strategies like addressing internal threats, regularly updating systems, utilising encryption technologies, and securing wireless networks should not only secure data but also forecast and prevent cyberattacks.

Digital healthcare information often contains patients’ personal, insurance or payment details. A data breach is threatening to say the least, as it compromises this data, putting patient safety at risk. Without adequate security, hackers can damage/change information and misuse data as personal health information is worth at least 10 times the financial information on the black market.

There are certain steps and methods that are absolutely necessary to ensure we are on the right side of digital healthcare, especially as the National Digital Health Mission picks pace.

Building a Secure Healthcare Ecosystem

It takes vigilance, collaboration, and a multifaceted approach to stay ahead of today’s dynamic cybersecurity threats. Therefore, several strategies can be used to prevent cyberattacks and secure data:

Address internal threats: The most common cause of healthcare data breach is unauthorised access or disclosures which means a data breach caused by employee error and/or negligence as well as malicious employees. Therefore, it is important to educate employees about what is right and wrong. They should also be taught to avoid phishing, social engineering and other attacks.

Keep all systems updated: Healthcare institutions should always keep operating systems and other application systems up to date to prevent hackers from finding bugs in the older versions. Moreover, every organisation needs to consider information security as a function and should have experts to establish policies to monitor and manage threats and incidents.

Making use of encryption: Hospitals and clinics need to adopt measures to include end-to-end encryption. Stringent measures should be taken to encrypt health data, while in transit and in storage. There is a dire need to encrypt the data, no matter where it goes.

Virtual private network: Using a virtual private network while accessing patient records also provides an increased level of security. Changing passwords frequently and implementing two-factor authentication for health professionals while accessing records will be helpful.

Secure wireless networks: Often, health data is at risk due to the insecure use of text messaging or device messaging systems. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that wireless network infrastructure as well as internal and external messaging systems meet the compliance requirements.

Isolation of networks: This is one of the most underrated yet critical aspects of avoiding a data breach. It is imperative to isolate networks for mission-critical and PHI applications. Hospital staff cannot use the same network for watching YouTube and monitoring a patient.

Overall, extensive adoption of digital health systems can improve healthcare performance and make it easier for a nation to accomplish its strategic objectives. However, unencrypted medical data is vulnerable, defeating the purpose of this integration. It is essential to strengthen security systems and implement a stringent legal and regulatory framework to safeguard patients and their health information.

—The author, Joji George, is CTO – PCS Digital and India Site Executive – PCS, GE HealthCare. The views expressed are personal.

(Edited by : C H Unnikrishnan)

First Published: Nov 25, 2023 9:56 AM IST

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Leaders Speak | Data Protection — these are the key cybersecurity imperatives for Indian healthcare providers

Without adequate security, hackers can damage/change information and misuse data as personal health information is worth at least 10 times the financial information on the black market, writes GE HealthCare's Joji George.

By Joji George Nov 30, 2023 9:19:45 AM IST (Updated)

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