Healthcare Cybersecurity Systems Must Be On Par With Global Standards
Cybersecurity leads the discussions on the digitisation of our healthcare industry. To keep our systems safe and secure and prevent breaches from cybercriminals, cybersecurity systems must be on par with global standards and consistently improving.
With the growing prevalence of digital processes in our healthcare sector, it is understandable to see an increase in cyberattacks and infiltration attempts on our security infrastructure. In 2022 alone, the country faced almost 14 lakh cybersecurity incidents, according to Ministry of State for Electronics and Information Technology data.
In the future, for our country to fulfil the goals and hopes of digitization and transition to a paperless economy, cybersecurity practices and systems in our country must be brought up to a level that makes the citizens of India feel secure about their information.
As per a Check Point Research (CPR) report, India in 2022 also emerged as the most frequent target of cybercriminals, with cyberattacks almost doubling compared to 2021. This was attributed to lax cybersecurity practices, with sub-standard firewalls deployed to protect crucial user/client data.
Owing to this, it becomes imperative for Indian institutes and organizations to keep their eyes on the future and ensure they abide by the best practices with the evolving trend in the healthcare cybersecurity industry.
Digitisation vs Cybersecurity
One of the major focuses of the cybersecurity industry in 2023 should be to protect and secure patients' data, as it is one of the most frequently targeted pieces of information by cybercriminals. A common tool used by cybercriminals to infiltrate a system is ransomware. Ransomware attacks have dramatically increased since the pandemic, displaying 105 per cent growth in 2021.
However, the industry needs to be prepared for other tools, systems, and forms of attack being adopted by cybercriminals. These forms of attacks can include BEC, phishing, and DDoS, where the attacker has the ability to shut down the victim's server. Hence, it is essential that organizations keep their workforce aware and prepared against any potential threats.
Upskilling
As per a recent market study, the current cybersecurity industry is facing an acute shortage of talent. With the demand for cybersecurity services at an all-time high, the industry needs young talent to join the workforce.
The shortage could be due to the insufficient curriculum in college programs, which deters new prospects from joining the industry. In order to fill this talent gap, steps need to be taken to improve the educational systems and ensure regular upskilling opportunities are provided to professionals.
A special focus needs to be given to certain key areas such as network security control, monitoring of the systems, virtual machine operations, and other relevant skills within the industry currently. Upskilling opportunities would allow the industry to expand its talent pool and cater to a wider audience of prospects looking for lucrative careers.
Outsourcing
One of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity for small-scale institutions is a lack of resources. Modern cybersecurity programs require constant updates and maintenance, which requires a number of skilled professionals working around the clock to keep the systems functioning at their best capacity.
Investing that amount of capital in one department isn't feasible for a lot of organizations. This is where certain administrative interventions are needed in order to aid these organizations in sourcing high-quality cybersecurity services. Outsourcing cybersecurity is beneficial because it is relatively more economical and allows multiple organizations to pool capital and receive the services.
In the recent budget, the government allocated over 600 crores to improve the cybersecurity infrastructure in the country, which is a step towards the right direction because the industry requires aid to strengthen its operations and expand its horizons. Meanwhile, government schemes such as Ayushman Bharat Yojana have significantly promoted digital practices in the healthcare sector.
In a short period of time, it can be said that the cybersecurity industry has made significant progress. However, a considerable amount of work still needs to be done to achieve the ultimate goal of digitizing the healthcare industry, and cybersecurity is a critical component of this effort.
It is essential for building consumer trust and establishing credibility. A robust and secure cybersecurity network is evidence of a highly skilled workforce and assures consumers that their information is being protected at all times.
