Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) create secure connections that protect electronic protected health information (ePHI) during transmission. A conference paper published in Proceedings Fourth International Symposium on Wireless Personal Multimedia Communications (WPMC) titled ‘Healthcare PANs: Personal Area Networks for trauma care and home care’ comments on the benefit of it, “The security level of the VPN is the same as the private network, achieved by means of a range of techniques including access control and encryption, protecting it against the threat of hacker and other attacks.” As healthcare increasingly relies on remote access to electronic medical records (EMRs) and telemedicine services, VPNs encrypt data both in transit and at rest, minimizing risks of interception.
A poorly configured VPN or one that does not offer safeguards to comply with HIPAA opens up healthcare organizations to a host of risks. According to a study titled ‘Common Vulnerabilities Exposed in VPN – A Survey’, “The more organizations are dependent on VPN, Similarly, the new vulnerabilities have been exposed. To date in total 479 vulnerabilities have been identified and exposed on the public domain where Top 28 vulnerabilities identified and exposed only in the year 2020.”
“Virtual private networks (VPNs) provided a way to create private connections between computers and transfer data between them securely over the public Internet. These are still the guarantees that VPNs provide for general users today.” a USENIX conference paper “All of them claim to be the best”: Multi-perspective study of VPN users and VPN providers notes. A VPN is a technology that creates a secure and encrypted connection over the internet, allowing users to transmit data safely and privately. It extends a private network across a public network, such as the internet, by masking the user's Internet Protocol (IP) address and encrypting their data.
There are several types of VPNs tailored for different needs. The types of VPNs include:
Healthcare organizations are subject to cyber threats like ransomware, phishing attacks, and data interception during transmission. An example of this is when, in February 2024, Change Healthcare, a major processor of U.S. medical claims, was hit by a BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware attack. The attackers exfiltrated sensitive data and deployed ransomware, crippling operations and causing disruptions in healthcare services nationwide.
Misconfigured systems or unsecured communication channels can make healthcare organizations vulnerable. VPNs reduce this risk by securing endpoints and hardening remote access points, minimizing vulnerabilities exploited by attackers.
The above-mentioned study, published in Proceedings Fourth International Symposium on Wireless Personal Multimedia Communications (WPMC) also notes, “The real fact is that VPN clients can’t always be 'trusted,' due to which organization is affected by a large number of data breaches around the globe.” It is for this reason that the assurance provided by HIPAA’s requirements must be fulfilled by any VPN platform that covered entities consider using.
While VPNs secure data transmission by encrypting traffic between devices and networks, email security protocols tackle threats specific to email communication, such as phishing, malware, and unauthorized access. Together, these measures provide layered protection for sensitive patient information.
VPNs mainly protect remote access to healthcare systems and ensure encrypted connections for data in transit. However, emails often contain sensitive information, including ePH. Secure email protocols such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) and encryption standards ensure that ePHI transmitted via email is protected from interception during transit. Integrating email traffic into VPNs can also prevent unauthorized access to email servers and block malicious attachments or phishing attempts through advanced inspection capabilities.
VPNs enable healthcare professionals to securely access electronic medical records (EMRs) and other sensitive patient data from remote locations. This is particularly beneficial for telehealth services and remote work arrangements. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare providers shifted to remote work, and VPNs ensured that patient data remained secure while accessed from home offices or other remote locations. According to Forbes UK it increases security when accessing public WiFi when used by at least 34% of users.
According to a journal article titled ‘Towards Reducing the Impact of Data Breaches’, “A determined attacker will find an attack path into the organization’s system that has been overlooked and cause a data breach, even though the organization believes that it has done due diligence and secured all its vulnerabilities.” VPNs reduce the risk of data breaches by encrypting data and preventing unauthorized access. Using VPNs with dedicated static IPs enhances data protection and ensures seamless global connectivity without compromising security.
VPN gateways ensure secure, bidirectional encrypted tunnels for IoT medical devices, integrating them with healthcare networks.
Yes, VPNs can securely connect patients and healthcare providers remotely.
Dedicated IP addresses provide an additional layer of security by ensuring consistent access to healthcare networks.
Network Address Translation and Port Address Translation help hide internal device IP addresses, making it harder for attackers to target individual devices. This adds an extra layer of security to VPN connections.