| | August 20179UTLOOK Healthcare Tech According to the SANS Institute, vulnerability management consists of five phases: preparation, vulnerability scanning, defining remediation actions, implementing remediation actions and rescans. There are several types of scanners available on the market today which utilize a variety of technologies. A key component in this process is deciding whether to remediate the vulnerability or accept the risk. A primary example of this is patching. Patches are made available, but at a risk. Sometimes the patch is disruptive and brings applications down, application vendors have known issues with the patch, or the vendors haven't had a chance to test the patch when made available. These types of issues normally delay patching cycles, and organizations have to decide what an acceptable risk is. Establishing a vulnerability management process is critical to identifying risks for your organization pertaining to cyber threats. No organization, regardless of size, is exempt from cybersecurity threats. In the event of an attack, you need a plan to follow. An incident response plan is an important part of your overall cybersecurity strategy and consists of awareness, assessment, response and recovery, and restoration of services. Performing incident response effectively is a complex undertaking. Establishing a successful incident response capability requires substantial planning and resources. There are many good reference documents available to assist with the creation of a plan. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has a very good document titled Computer Security Incident Handling Guide. This is a detailed guide for establishing an effective incident response program, but the primary focus of the document is detecting, analyzing, prioritizing, and handling incidents. The document also includes different scenarios to work through.One of the key critical items to combat security threats is information sharing. Sharing information can assist others in preventing an attack, reducing the spread of an attack and ultimately eliminating threats. There are several organizations that have setup processes for information sharing. The following is a list of several: The FBI, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Vulnerability Database, Department of Homeland Security, National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, Health Information Trust Alliance, National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center, National Cyber-Forensics & Training Alliance and American Hospital Association, to mention a few. These organizations provide information pertaining to current and potential threats. I also strongly recommend establishing a relationship with the FBI office that supports your location.Cyber threats will continue to plague healthcare organizations, as demonstrated over the past several years. No organization is safe from attacks. Implementing a cybersecurity framework will assist you with mitigating risks. Items to consider:· Cybersecurity presents risks and opportunities· Cybersecurity incidents are predicted to increase each year· New threat vectors will emerge as technology advances· Cyber attackers will go after easy targets· Learn from other Healthcare breaches· Understand the nature and scope of cyber threats· Continue to invest in education, prevention, detection and response· Identify your assets and risks· Implement protection/detection technologies· Test your plan· Ensure you have an adequate backup strategy· Plan to respond and recover to an event HTSharing information can assist others in preventing an attack, reducing the spread of an attack and ultimately eliminating threats"
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