Emma Mak • Staff Writer Managed Service Providers Help Protect You and Your Patients
With the high rate of cyberattacks in the healthcare industry expected to continue, it’s more a question of when a provider will be attacked than if. During January 2023 alone, 30 breach cases for healthcare providers were investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
Healthcare Providers are a Favorite Target for Hackers
Healthcare organizations are an ideal target of cybercriminals due to the high monetary and intelligence value of the data they possess, including intellectual property such as research and patients’ personally identifying information (PII), health records, and financial information.
MSPs Provide Partnership and Planning
Since human error is usually the biggest vulnerability in any cybersecurity system, a serious cyber-resilience strategy should include organization-wide buy-in, training, and compliance in the prevention and recovery of data breaches. Purchasing the right set of tools is just the beginning. Careful planning is needed to prevent attacks and ensure a quick recovery.
“Aligning cybersecurity and patient safety initiatives not only will help your organization protect patient safety and privacy, but will also ensure continuity of effective delivery of high-quality care by mitigating disruptions that can have a negative impact on clinical outcomes.”
– John Riggi, Senior Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk, American Hospital Association
Staying on top of constant threats can be too much for a healthcare provider's internal IT team. Outsourcing the management of cybersecurity improvements to a reliable MSP that partners with trusted names in the industry, such as Cisco® and Stratejm, helps healthcare providers stay ahead of the threats.
Case Study
Compucom Oversees Dramatic Cybersecurity Improvements for a Large Healthcare Service Provider
In 2022, Compucom oversaw a project to improve cybersecurity for a hospital system after it suffered a malware attack. Working closely with the hospital system's IT team, we moved quickly to review their security posture and develop an incident response plan. This included tabletop exercises with a facilitator to discuss roles and responses in an emergency and for a business continuity plan.
We then partnered with Cisco® and Stratejm to deliver a complete cybersecurity solution. The following steps were taken:
- To quickly protect the hospital system’s users, we rolled out the cloud-delivered Cisco Umbrella suite. This provided the protection and visibility needed to assess the current threat landscape.
- We secured their email system, deploying Cisco Secure Email to handle phishing attacks, business email compromises, and malicious content.
- By implementing Cisco Duo, we introduced zero-trust capability with two-factor authentication (2FA) to users. This was part of our plan to protect remote access, ensure device trust, and consolidate access with single sign-on.
- A user awareness program was created, which included a phishing email simulation.
- To complement the updated security infrastructure, we introduced security-operations-center (SOC) services through Stratejm’s Managed Security Services. SOC services use people, processes, and technology to constantly monitor an organization’s network — preventing, detecting, analyzing, and rapidly responding to cybersecurity threats while continuously improving the organization’s security posture.
With the solution provided by Compucom and Cisco, and the Stratejm service to help guide our customer in the future, the hospital system will now be proactive, aware, and able to get ahead of vulnerabilities.
Compucom: A One-Stop Shop for All Your IT Needs
During these challenging times for healthcare, a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can be your greatest ally for improving cybersecurity posture, optimizing patient experience, and reaching new levels of IT efficiency.
A recognized MSP such as Compucom, with strong OEM relationships and a broad range of services, including professional services and IT staffing, streamlines and reduces costs for your organization. By getting multiple services from one provider, you simplify IT and gain a strategic partner who deeply understands your operations and can add value to all aspects of your business. Lean on us for all things IT and free your organization to focus on what’s most important — saving and improving patient lives.
