IT Security
Any CIO at a hospital or health system will tell you that one of the main things which keeps them up at night is securing critical patient and organizational information. Featured prominently in their nightmares are both internal and external IT security threats including:
- Phishing
- Malware
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
- Brute Force or Hacking
- Ransomware
- TrojanVirus and Worms
- Spyware
- Keyloggers
- Disgruntled employees
In addition, data breach, device misconfiguration, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), insecure interfaces and APIs, and malicious insider threats are among the top security threats that will continue to haunt firms failing to invest in a robust IT security strategy. The objective of an IT security policy is the preservation of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems and information used by an organization’s members.Optisave professionals have the expertise and experience to assist CIOs and their staff in evaluating solutions to mitigate risks associated with IT security threats and optimize client solutions to assure maximum vendor value.
KEY IT SECURITY EXPOSURE AREAS:
Voice and Data Network
Protecting the network involves both hardware, and software as well as configuration management. This also includes internal and remote access. Typical items are firewalls, intrusion detection equipment and remote access software.
Client Devices and Servers
For the most part, protecting these devices involves software, and configuration management. This includes antivirus/antimalware software, password management software, encryption software, email protection and software management solutions. Additionally, education is important to make end users aware of the various threats and how to protect against them.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
With the movement to a BYOD environment in many organizations, hospitals must recognize there are real vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. A typical solution is software which can be installed on these devices to manage and protect corporate information, for example:
- Secure texting
- VPN to encrypt outbound communication
- MDM – Mobile Device Management
Wearable Medical Devices
While increased use of networked wearable medical devices is an exciting healthcare development, it creates new and serious security exposure. In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about security flaws affecting dozens of implantable cardiac defibrillators. Cyberattacks can be initiated by introduction of malware into equipment or unauthorized access to configuration settings and data—not only in the devices, but also in hospital or other networks to which they are connected.
Working from Home
The sudden lockdowns in March 2020 drove millions to work from home. But hackers quickly found new ways to target companies by focusing on the employees themselves. Bugs in enterprise software left corporate networks open to attack. The flood of personal devices logging onto the network — and the influx of malware with it — introduced a unique havoc.
Vendor Strategy
Should you reduce the number of security software and service vendors and move towards more complete suites to reduce costs or use a multiple vendor approach for different points of view? Hybrid solutions for connected on-premises and cloud software are driving new license models and metrics that need to be carefully managed to prevent explosive growth in costs.
Optisave IT Security Optimization Success Stories:
- Assisted a very large West Coast healthcare system with over 120,000 users by negotiating an agreement including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid security that eliminated more than 12 security applications that simplified administration, reduced complexity of onboarding/off-boarding, and lowered annual costs by more than $2 million annually
- Developed a technology roadmap including applications and security for a global furniture manufacturer and negotiated an agreement with a key supplier to provide consolidated security for on-premises, IAAS, PAAS, and SAAS solutions, reducing annual costs more than $450,000 per year.
- Negotiated best of breed approach of on-premises and cloud security providers for a South Central regional healthcare provider, lowering annual costs by over $300,000.
Contact us now to learn more about optimizing your IT Security Solutions.
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