The Growing Importance of Data Protection in Medical Institutions

Data protection in a medical institution such as a hospital or a public healthcare facility cannot be compromised. The nature of patient information being exchanged during daily operations such as personal details, bank information etc. means that even the slightest breach of security can plunge reputation into a downward spiral. Classified customer data fetches a huge price in underground channels. So, hackers are always on the prowl for individual details such as date of birth, SSN, card details, healthcare coverage and so on.

There has been a rise in critical patient information being exchanged online during the COVID-19 pandemic as most of the operations in the healthcare sector have resorted to digital channels which are being viewed as a convenient alternative to transactions that require face to face contact. Needless to say, these channels are easy targets for cybersecurity threats and could jeopardize the hospital’s business prospects, given the already narrow margins for profitability in the industry.

Businesses can’t completely rule out digital transformation owing to these risks. However, they must reinforce their emphasis on data protection and compliance during this transition, especially when adopting new technologies.

Faster Migration to Online Platforms During COVID-19

Prior to COVID-19’s advent, the use of emerging technologies was predominant across platforms that mainly supported recreational activities. However, the lockdown has driven almost all business entities online, making virtual platforms an integral component of IT infrastructure, especially for activities that require real time connectivity such as VoIP, video conferencing, webinars and so on.

Medical institutions are having to work around numerous COVID-19 regulations such as social distancing, quarantines and so on, to slow down the virus’ spread. Many treatments and operations are being administered remotely and many telehealth options have been used with a considerable amount of success.

Internet connectivity is a fairly evolved entity today that most consumers are quite familiar with. Hence, adapting healthcare operations to the new normal has been relatively less disruptive. As days go by, more options would become necessary so that both healthcare providers and patients have greater flexibility in terms of choices. Patient consumption of healthcare services has undergone a drastic change during this year. Most individuals have limited themselves to consultations that are absolutely unavoidable while omitting less important services.

Data Loss in Healthcare is Expensive

While digital transformation has increased the ease of operating in the healthcare sector, IT teams are also having to invest heavily in data protection measures as reversing the impact of compromised information is extremely expensive. Enquiries need to be made into the incident. Appropriate responses are then deployed to mitigate the impact. Finally, considerable time and effort is invested in eliminating the root cause. All these tasks imply a huge cost to the organization, not to mention revenue and production losses from downtime.

Besides providing state of the art healthcare service, the ability to allay patient fears and anxieties is a highly valued currency in the sector and can easily depreciate if customer data is exposed to cybersecurity threats which in turn can slow down the medical institution’s future business prospects. Dealing with data breaches is more expensive in healthcare than in other sectors and will continue to rise as this pandemic progresses.

Emphasizing Data Protection & Compliance

Medical institutions must fortify their data protection measures under the assumption that network breaches will most definitely occur, especially when most of their operations have already migrated online.

Protecting Digitally Enabled Financial Transactions

Not all customers are comfortable with phone based transactions. Hospitals for their part can’t use them on a large scale either. Online transactions are quickly becoming the norm across all establishments, making PCI regulations all the more relevant.

Healthcare providers can create a system where real money is exchanged for digital currency that can be used to pay only for services within the medical institution but have no value outside. The administration has greater visibility into and control over the circulation of money within the facility while incidents of stolen funds can be almost completely eliminated.

Customers provide their personal and bank related details and pay for app based digital tokens that can be used only within the hospital. Although sensitive patient data is shared once during the initial onboarding, the system does erect an additional layer of security by permitting the payment of only digital tokens in exchange of healthcare services.

Promoting the use of digital tokens are particularly convenient for regular patients who frequently use the hospital services. Those who make multiple payments on a daily basis can define and save their preferences so that payments are automated and the entire invoice processing cycle, simplified.

Secure Phone Based Payments

Businesses had to provision remote connectivity for their staff almost overnight owing to the sudden outbreak of the virus and the lockdown that followed almost immediately. This made alternate payment methods such as phone based transactions, necessary. Maintaining confidentiality of patient information while processing such tasks from a home environment became all the more crucial.

Hospitals and other medical institutions usually process phone based payments over a VoIP service such as Cisco or Avaya which exposes customer data to the entire VoIP environment consisting of servers, switches, firewalls and phones. Adhering to PCI norms in such cases becomes all the more expensive.

Protection measures for VoIP based payments are implemented at the network edge where customer information is veiled for security reasons before sending it across the environment. Dual tone multi frequency masking (DTMF) adds an extra layer of protection to customer data to prevent misuse at the call center.

Protecting Online Transactions

Enterprises have had to reorient their approach to business operations during this COVID-19 pandemic. Technology and the ability to go digital has to a large extent offset the restrictions imposed by social distancing norms that have become necessary. But that doesn’t mean that customer data, a valuable resource that medical institutions work with, isn’t invulnerable to cyber threats. Businesses must invest more in new, emerging and novel approaches to strengthen security measures while working with confidential patient information.