System security: The key to optimal healthcare

The combination of new technologies and increased connectivity has the power to enhance almost every aspect of our lives. That’s even true of the healthcare sector, particularly during the current pandemic, with telehealth advances facilitating care that might not otherwise be provided in a safe and timely manner. But it is also important to understand the downside: increased connectivity expands the attack surface of the technology environment.

We all talk about being more connected, but that’s usually in reference to the devices we use and the services we consume. However, there’s also the infrastructure these services traverse to reach our devices. Network capabilities undoubtedly transformed the way and speed at which computers were adopted, providing the ability to communicate between multiple systems over distances of varying degrees and allowing us to utilize all these services for just about any purpose -- something that’s now taken for granted. Imagine the challenges of an Electronic Health Record (EHR) accessible from only one workstation, or multiple installations across hundreds of machines all with different information because the data cannot be easily replicated between them. Luckily, we don’t have to imagine either scenario, thanks to networks.