In the US, it is estimated that cyberattacks cost the healthcare industry $6 billion annually. Similarly, both private and public-sector healthcare firms in the UK are increasingly finding themselves targeted by hacks and other forms of malicious activity. Altogether the NHS has now been fined more than £1.3 million by the Information Commissioner’s Office for poor security practices. Clearly, as healthcare businesses begin to embrace more digital technologies, they also need to ensure that they install the relevant safeguards to protect patient data.
[easy-tweet tweet=”As #healthcare businesses adopt more digital technologies they must protect patient data” hashtags=”Security”]
In order to understand how to best protect healthcare information it is important to realise why cyberattacks are targeting this industry. Data stored by health firms can include email addresses, credit card data, employment information and much more that could be used to commit fraud. Medical records are also extremely personal, meaning that they should be protected even when there is little or no financial risk involved. The cost of a data breach could not only cost businesses millions of pounds in regulatory fines, but also untold reputational damage.
Curing your security troubles with the cloud
Modern healthcare businesses, however, are now challenged to keep patient data secure while also continually evolving their IT infrastructure. In the past, protecting information was relatively straightforward: making sure that filing cabinets were locked. Today, digital records can be accessed from all over the world and the rise of IoT healthcare devices promises more access points in the future. This means that a holistic approach to patient security is a necessity.
One way that health firms can improve their IT security is by employing a reliable cloud vendor. At Zsah we provide managed cloud, managed IT, software engineering and consultancy to a raft of industries including telecoms, finance, retail and healthcare. Cloud computing can help healthcare firms by providing flexible, scalable IT solutions, but it can also bolster security. Long gone are the days when cloud computing was seen as inferior to on premise security protocols. Today, cloud firms ensure the most stringent safeguards are in place so their customers can meet the necessary compliance standards.
With Zsah, all of our data stays within the United Kingdom and our firewalls use IPS (Intrusion Prevention), IDS (Intrusion Detection) and DDOS (Denial of Service) protections to secure the network and your data. We can offer managed cloud to take some of the pressure off of your in-house IT teams or help you to deliver private cloud solutions for the highest levels of privacy and security.
The cloud also provides healthcare firms with an added layer of security in the event that unexpected disruption occurs. The disaster recovery options provided by cloud solutions mean that whether disruption is caused by a malicious agent or a natural disaster, core processes can be resumed quickly and you can continue to deliver the service that your patients rely on.
[easy-tweet tweet=”#Cloud computing is now able to deliver a number of #healthcare benefits and keep patient data secure” hashtags=”Security”]
Cloud computing offers many benefits for modern health firms, allowing medical professionals to access information all over the world, collaborate on cutting-edge research and maintain closer contact with their patients. Crucially, the cloud is now able to deliver these features while keeping patient data as secure as possible. At Zsah there are a number of cloud computing options available to healthcare firms, but one thing remains the same: The high standards of security that you and your patients expect.
Amir Hashmi, Managing Director, zsah Technology Group
Amir Hashmi is Managing Director of the zsah Technology Group.
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