The healthcare industry is notorious for constant cybersecurity threats and breaches. Archaic technology and practices often leave organizations vulnerable to attack. SEE ALSO: Global Surges in Ransomware Attacks in Q3 2020 Traditional cybersecurity measures simply aren’t effective anymore. With attacks only becoming more prevalent and costly, zero trust security is quickly becoming the go-to method for cybersecurity. And according to TechBeacon , COVID is only accelerating the adoption of the model, since users are more likely to access sensitive information remotely.
SEE ALSO: Cybersecurity Challenges of Remote Working
What is zero trust?
Zero trust is exactly what it sounds like. As opposed to the “trust but verify” era, zero trust is an emergent security strategy that assumes everyone is a threat until proven otherwise through various methods of verification. No matter if someone is inside or outside a network, they must verify their identity before accessing sensitive or private data such as protected health information (PHI). A zero trust framework allows companies more minute control over who accesses which information at what time by requiring users to confirm that they are authorized to access to data each time it is requested.
Why is zero trust important for healthcare?
As healthcare networks expand and increase their endpoints, secure infrastructure gets more complex, and therefore more vulnerable. The more access points there are, the harder it is for companies to manage and protect all of them. Additionally, email phishing technology is becoming increasingly advanced, leading to more successful hacks. SEE ALSO: What You Don’t Know About Cybersecurity Can Put Your Business at Risk But external hackers aren’t the only people to worry about. IBM’s 2019 Cost of a Data Breach report found that healthcare was the most expensive industry with over 7 billion dollars in damages from cyberattacks. Almost a quarter of those breaches were caused by internal negligence from employees or third parties. SEE ALSO: How to Ensure Your Employees Aren’t a Threat to HIPAA Compliance Additionally, a 2018 Accenture poll reported that 18% of healthcare workers would be willing to sell private information to unauthorized parties. Whether from negligence or malintent, employees can be as significant a risk as external criminals.
SEE ALSO: Hacking and Human Error: Two Enemies of HIPAA Compliance
How does zero trust protect your business?
Zero trust security reinforces boundaries and access points by requiring proof of authorization. The key to this framework is the recurring verification of users. This is a critical step to protect from outside cybercriminals, but also internal breaches. Zero trust is not one system or technology. It is a framework including two-factor authentication , endpoint security , privilege controls, and more depending on the scope of your business. However, requiring user verification and authorization at each access/data point is an essential step to protect the integrity and reputation of your organization. Paubox can be a partner in your email cybersecurity strategy.
Paubox Email Suite enables you to send HIPAA compliant email by default with two-factor authentication built in. No change in user behavior is required; simply compose and send encrypted emails from your regular email provider such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace . Your recipients receive emails directly in their email inboxes—no password or portal required. The Paubox Suite Premium level comes with features such as email data loss prevention (DLP) which prevents unauthorized employees from sending sensitive information outside of a corporate network. Paubox complements the implementation of your zero trust framework very well. In addition, Paubox is HITRUST CSF certified , which is the gold standard of security frameworks in the healthcare industry.
Try Paubox Email Suite Premium for FREE today.
