Healthcare organizations face a unique set of challenges in maintaining cybersecurity. Often healthcare organizations have environments that combine both modern and antiquated infrastructure that is integral to daily operations. The legacy systems, can include older software, medical devices, and data management systems, are often difficult to update or replace. While they may still function well enough to support day-to-day tasks, these older systems pose significant cybersecurity risks. Two of the most pressing issues are interoperability and budget constraints, both of which contribute to vulnerabilities that can jeopardize patient data and overall system integrity.
Interoperability Issues: A Double-Edged Sword
As healthcare organizations adopt new technologies, they must integrate them with existing legacy systems. However, many older systems were not designed to support the same security protocols and controls as newer systems, creating potential entry points for cyber threats. This is particularly problematic in healthcare, where sensitive data flows through various systems. When interoperability between old and new systems isn’t managed with security in mind, the whole network becomes more vulnerable to attacks.
To mitigate these risks, healthcare organizations should consider implementing network segmentation. This means separating legacy systems from other parts of the network, reducing the likelihood that a vulnerability in one area will affect the entire system. For added security, encryption and secure API gateways can help control the flow of information between systems. Regular vulnerability assessments also play a crucial role, helping organizations identify and address weak points where legacy systems might be most susceptible to threats.
Cost Constraints: Managing Technical Debt
For many healthcare providers, budget constraints limit the scope of security upgrades, creating what is known as “technical debt.” Technical debt accumulates as necessary upgrades or replacements are postponed due to limited financial resources, leaving the organization more vulnerable over time. Unfortunately, replacing legacy systems in healthcare is often cost-prohibitive due to the high expense of new medical equipment and software.
A risk-based approach to budgeting can help healthcare providers manage limited resources effectively. This involves identifying which systems pose the greatest risk to security and patient safety, then prioritizing those areas for immediate action. Solutions like cloud-based security services offer a cost-effective way to add layers of protection without significant upfront investment. Cybersecurity services and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms are updated regularly by the provider, allowing healthcare organizations to stay protected without bearing the full cost of continuous upgrades.
The Path Forward: Balancing Security and Practicality
Long-term, healthcare organizations should consider creating a phased modernization plan. While a complete overhaul may be out of reach, a gradual approach allows organizations to retire high-risk systems first and address vulnerabilities over time. Adopting a defense-in-depth approach can help address risk by creating multiple points of protection that bad actors have to traverse to be successful. And stronger access controls, such as multi-factor authentication and network monitoring, part of an DiD approach can add immediate protection while modernization is in progress.
The CodeHunter Solution
CodeHunter can significantly augment an organization’s DiD approach. Existing cybersecurity solutions are designed to address “known good” and “known bad” threats and they do a great job at that task. But the reality is that the threat landscape is constantly evolving, and these solutions are not equipped to address unknown threats. However, CodeHunter is purpose-built to address the unknown. CodeHunter offers patented threat analysis helping organizations identify custom, multi-step, and zero-day malware. Where existing cybersecurity solutions rely on hash matching to known malware, CodeHunter analyzes files at the binary level for malicious behavior. This enables it to provide actionable intelligence, empowering security analysts to reduce the mean time to respond (MTTR) to cyber threats and strengthening an organization’s DiD strategy. Learn how CodeHunter can aid healthcare providers that rely upon essential legacy systems in developing a robust cybersecurity defense posture here.
