The healthcare industry is constantly exposed to cyberattacks. It has traditionally been one of the most frequently targeted industries, and 2023 hasn’t changed that. The U.S. Government Office for Civil Rights reported 145 data breaches in the U.S. in the first quarter of this year. This follows 707 incidents a year ago during which more than 50 million records were stolen.
Health records often include your name, date of birth, social security number, and address. This treasure trove of data is used for identity theft, tax evasion, and other crimes. The high value of data makes healthcare applications a promising target.
The healthcare industry has been hesitant to adopt SaaS applications. However, SaaS applications improve collaboration among healthcare professionals, leading to better patient outcomes. This, combined with his SaaS ability to reduce costs and improve financial performance, has led to full industry adoption of his SaaS solutions.
Healthcare facilities today store patient records, billing records, and other sensitive data, including both PHI (protected health information) and PII (personally identifiable information), often in Salesforce, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365.
Learn how to secure your entire SaaS stack with an SSPM solution
Protecting access to medical data
In the United States, medical data is protected under HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). A security flaw that affected more than 500 people has been widely reported in the media and has resulted in hefty fines.
SaaS applications, such as Salesforce, are secure enough to prevent threat actors from breaking into the application and accessing patient data if they include add-ons that are HIPAA compliant. SaaS applications are always updated to the latest version and don’t have the vulnerabilities found in on-premises software.
SaaS developers invest heavily in providing secure software solutions. They maintain a team of security experts who constantly monitor and update their software to deal with new threats. These applications run on advanced infrastructure with robust physical security measures, redundant systems and disaster recovery systems. We adhere to strict industry standards to ensure the highest level of security and compliance for your healthcare data.
Layered access security
In a report published in August 2022 by the Office of Information Security and the Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordinating Center (HC3) on the impact of social engineering on healthcare, researchers found that 45% of all attacks against the healthcare industry began with phishing attacks. An employee was manipulated into handing over login credentials, allowing the attacker to break in through the front door.
SaaS applications have multiple layers of defense against this type of compromise. For example, many SaaS applications require MFA at login. Without a one-time password, most attackers would be thwarted from trying to gain access with just a username and password. Second, many organizations require SSO to access their apps. This additional layer of identity fabric creates more complexity for attackers trying to compromise SaaS applications. There are over 100 security checks within Salesforce and Microsoft 365 that combine to form a strong defensive perimeter.
It wasn’t that long ago that anyone who successfully compromised a SaaS application had a blank slate of powers that allowed them to do anything within their permission set. Stealing credentials from an administrator can bring the entire app under the threat actor’s control within minutes. That is no longer the case.
Leading SaaS security tools have added an identity threat detection and response (ITDR) layer to the equation. With this last line of defense, if a threat actor were able to access the application, even if they used valid credentials to access it, the security team would be alerted when the threat actor compromised her SaaS app.
ITDR recognizes behavioral anomalies of individual users. If a threat actor breaks into her SaaS stack and behaves suspiciously, the ITDR will flag the activity and alert the security team, who can disable her account and conduct an investigation.
The healthcare industry is already accustomed to role-based access to medical records. Medical files cannot be reviewed by anyone who does not need access to patient records. This approach is critical to his SaaS security. By following the Principle of Least Privilege (POLP), each user has access only to the materials necessary for their role. If those user credentials are compromised, attackers will not be able to access her PHI data they are looking for.
Healthcare app security automation
SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) platforms such as Adaptive Shield are the most important tools used to defend healthcare applications. SSPM performs automated monitoring of security settings 24/7, keeping track of settings and alerting security personnel when configurations are changed. If a user accidentally compromises your app’s security posture, SSPM can help you quickly resolve the misconfiguration.
SSPM also monitors third-party applications that connect to core SaaS apps. Track a user’s entitlements and trigger alerts if entitlements granted exceed company policy or his HIPAA standards. Track dormant, external, and authorized users, as well as doctors who treat patients, to prevent them from harming your application.
By implementing an SSPM, healthcare organizations can secure sensitive patient data stored within their applications.
Get 15 demos and learn how to secure your entire SaaS stack
