As healthcare IT software continues to be integral to optimizing patient care and improving operational efficiency, strong data security has become more paramount than ever.
The chief cause is that cybercriminals see healthcare data as a lucrative target due to its highly regulated nature and the sensitive personal information it contains. According to a recent study by IBM Security, there were 29,000 records of healthcare businesses being the source of data breaches in 2023. Reaching $10.10 million, the industry cost the highest among all.
This alarming fact highlights the importance of thorough data security in healthcare software development. In addition to being required by law, maintaining data confidentiality, availability, and integrity is ethically upright toward patients who entrust healthcare practitioners with their well-being.
To tackle this urgent issue, we’ll discuss 5 amazing tools that improve data security in healthcare software development. These elements will give medical organizations the ability to protect patient data and uphold their trust.
Tool #1: Encryption
Encryption is essential for safeguarding private medical data. Data that is sent in plain text is encrypted to prevent unauthorized parties from decrypting it, even if the data is intercepted.
It’s critical to secure patient data, treatment information, and protected health information (PHI) stored and communicated between health systems. An additional degree of security worth investing in is end-to-end encryption. This is where data is encrypted at the source and only decrypted at the desired location.
End-to-end encryption keeps unauthorized access from happening even if the communication connection is breached. Guaranteeing PHI stays unreadable helps healthcare organizations comply with data security requirements and reduces the risk of expensive data breaches.
EncryptTitan, MySQL, ShareFile, and Bitwarden’s built-in transparent data encryption are a few examples of encryption technologies and libraries used in healthcare applications. With the help of these technologies, healthcare providers can easily incorporate encryption of data security in healthcare software development features to protect sensitive patient data in their systems and apps.
Tool #2: Granular Access Control
Medical organizations have a primary concern when it comes to promoting patient data security in healthcare software development. Granular access control is essential since there is so much sensitive data spanning insurance claims, electronic health records, and private conversations.
Granular access control ensures that access to data and functionality is restricted to only that which is required for each position by allowing the assignment of extremely detailed permissions and limits to individual users or user groups. Indeed, according to recent research by IBM Security, a data breach including personal health information and medical records occurred in 51% of impacted healthcare institutions.
To address this pressing need, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) has become the industry standard for controlling user permissions in healthcare systems. RBAC ensures that administrators, support personnel, and clinicians may only see and alter the data required for their responsibilities by linking access privileges to their job functions. This idea of least privilege reduces the possibility of unwanted access and inadvertent data disclosure.
In addition to RBAC, multifactor authentication (MFA) provides additional protection layers by requiring users to provide multiple verification factors such as passwords, biometric scanning, or a single code.
Healthcare firms may use reliable tools like OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and Azure Active Directory to deploy these comprehensive access control methods. These systems provide centralized access governance, secure authentication, and granular permissions management, which are crucial elements in strengthening healthcare data protection.
Tool #3: Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Sensitive patient data such as medical records, billing information, and research results are often lost in data breaches targeting the healthcare industry. Effective data loss prevention (DLP) is therefore an essential component of a comprehensive security plan.
DPL describes the procedures and tools used to locate, monitor, and shield private information against misuse, data collection, and illegal access. Content inspection is a common step in DLP solutions for healthcare businesses. It helps identify and categorize sensitive data, including financial information, protected health information, and personal ID.
Then, using sophisticated DLP solutions, medical organizations can impose strict guidelines on who may access, share, and keep this data. This assures that only individuals with the proper authorization can work with it.
Prominent DLP products can sync with electronic health record (EHR) systems to safeguard protected health information (PHI), monitor endpoint activity, and identify data transfers to or from unapproved devices or cloud storage. For instance, leading DLP tools, such as Forcepoint DLP, Symantec Data Loss Prevention, Trellix Data Loss Prevention, and GTB Technologies DLP, offer data security in healthcare software development that complies with regulatory requirements.
Moreover, medical organizations can incorporate DLP into custom healthcare software development services, such as clinical research management systems, medical imaging apps, and telemedicine platforms. This offers an extra degree of security on top of conventional network-based security measures by guaranteeing sensitive data is protected at the source.
Tool #4: Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Strong identity and access management are essential because healthcare businesses are depending more and more on digital systems and cloud-based apps to handle sensitive data and provide treatment.
Identity and Access Management is referred to as IAM. It is a system of guidelines, procedures, and equipment that guarantees that only authorized individuals and groups may access the relevant resources for legitimate purposes.
The three main parts of IAM are user management, authorization, and authentication. This combination allows the following actions:
- account creation, modification, and revocation
- access privilege establishment and enforcement
- user identity verification
Data security in healthcare software development offers a safe, regulated, and auditable environment for accessing private patient data, financial information, and other vital assets by putting these fundamental IAM features into practice.
Healthcare companies could gain major benefits from centralizing IAM activities on an integrated platform. They can expedite the onboarding and offboarding of users, enforce uniform security controls, and see patterns and variations in access.
Additionally, healthcare organizations can combine IAM with clinical apps, administrative tools, and electronic health record (EHR) systems. The practice will guarantee a smooth and secure user experience throughout the whole software ecosystem.
Leading IAM systems support users’ and organizations’ control, convenience, and compliance. For example, Zluri, Okta Workforce Identity, and CyberArk Workforce Identity improve security and usability by offering single sign-on access to numerous apps, multi-factor authentication, and centralized administration of identities, permissions, and activities.
Tool #5: Endpoint Security
As the healthcare sector relies so heavily on networked devices and sensitive patient data, having strong endpoint security is essential. Cybercriminals typically target healthcare businesses because they understand the high value of the information they contain and the potential impact of interrupting medical services.
SentinelOne, Crowdstrike Falcon, Teramind, and other endpoint security systems are examples of leading software designed for healthcare use. These solutions provide advanced threat detection, prevention, and response capabilities that are specifically designed to meet the security requirements of the medical industry.
Obtaining sensitive data, financial information, and important medical records is highly possible for cybercriminals. Attackers can use malware, ransomware, and bugs that target security holes in medical equipment and workstations to target healthcare endpoints. That’s why healthcare endpoint security solutions use machine learning and artificial intelligence to quickly detect and stop suspicious activities.
Endpoint security solutions provide security professionals insight into any device connected to the network and can quickly identify and neutralize threats. Proficient analytics functionalities allow inquiries, evaluation of potential hazards, and exhibition of adherence to medical and data regulations.
Best Practice of 5 Healthcare Data Security Tools
Healthcare organizations can proficiently safeguard confidential data, guarantee uninterrupted operations, and preserve patient trust by incorporating 5 crucial elements of data security in healthcare software development:
- Encryption
- Granular access management
- Data Loss Prevention
- Identity and Access Management
- Endpoint Security
When choosing healthcare software solutions, it’s critical to work with a reliable vendor who values data security and functionality. KMS Healthcare offers innovative healthcare software solutions that help your organization succeed in the digital era.