By Ram Vaidyanathan, IT security evangelist, ManageEngine
The healthcare industry increasingly relies on cloud applications to manage patient data and deliver healthcare services. In this climate, the challenge is ensuring the security and privacy of sensitive information. This data can be accessed, read, and tampered with by cyber attackers and malicious insiders.
Cloud access security brokers (CASBs) play a crucial role in solving this challenge. They can be utilised in the healthcare sector to enhance data security, ensure regulatory compliance, and support secure remote work.
Enhancing security and privacy
One of the primary concerns in the healthcare sector is protecting sensitive patient data from unauthorised access and breaches. CASBs address this challenge by providing comprehensive visibility into each application and its associated activities. Rules can be configured to ensure that access to an application only takes place if certain conditions are met.
For example, access can be blocked if a user uses an untrusted browser or if they access it during a disallowed window of time. An upload to the cloud or a download from the cloud can also be blocked based on variables such as file size, file name, file type, etc.
Ensuring regulatory compliance
Healthcare organisations must comply with stringent regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, which mandates the protection of patient health information. CASBs play a vital role in helping organisations adhere to these regulations by providing continuous monitoring and detailed auditing of cloud environments.
CASBs generate comprehensive reports and alerts for compliance violations, enabling quick remediation and ensuring that the organisation’s data management practices align with regulatory requirements. This proactive approach to compliance helps healthcare providers avoid costly fines and reputational damage associated with non-compliance.
Obtaining visibility and control
With the proliferation of cloud applications, healthcare organisations need visibility into all cloud services used within their environment. CASBs offer advanced shadow IT discovery capabilities, identifying unauthorised applications that physicians and other employees might be using without IT approval. This visibility allows IT administrators to manage and secure all cloud services effectively and mitigate risks associated with unsanctioned applications.
Moreover, CASBs provide granular access control, allowing organisations to enforce security policies based on locations and devices. For instance, access to sensitive patient data can be restricted, ensuring that information is accessed on a need-to-know basis.
Supporting secure remote work
The accelerated adoption of telehealth and remote work in the healthcare sector further underscores the need for CASBs. CASBs support these trends by securing access to cloud-based healthcare applications from remote locations. They integrate with identity and access management solutions to enforce strong authentication methods, such as MFA, to ensure that only authorised users can access sensitive data from remote environments.
By securing remote access, CASBs enable healthcare professionals to provide care and manage patient information securely, regardless of their location. This capability is essential for maintaining the continuity of healthcare services while protecting patient data in a remote work setting.
During a telehealth consultation, a physician may review a patient’s medical history, lab reports, and previous visit notes directly within the cloud application that is being used. The CASB will monitor any data the physician might share during the session, ensuring that sensitive patient information does not leave the secure environment. It will also ensure that documents shared between the two individuals are not shared to a third party over the cloud.
CASBs have become indispensable tools for data security, regulatory compliance, and secure remote work as healthcare organisations continue to embrace the cloud. By leveraging the advanced capabilities of CASBs, healthcare providers can protect sensitive patient information, comply with stringent regulations, and mitigate the risks associated with cloud adoption. CASBs will remain a critical component of the sector’s cybersecurity strategy as the healthcare landscape evolves.
