The last few years have been a powerful warning to medical labs and health care providers when it comes to cybersecurity. In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned device manufacturers and healthcare providers about a group of security flaws, called Urgent/11, that could control medical devices and change their function, cause a leak of information, or prevent function altogether. In 2020, a new threat, the Ripple20 malware, was discovered. Ripple20 can infect any number of connected devices, creating vulnerabilities that could compromise health and safety.

For medical labs, these new threats are a warning to step up cybersecurity surrounding all aspects of lab functions, not only in-place infrastructure. As medical labs are becoming more automated — and staff more remote — there are even more risks that someone could gain unauthorized access to a connected device such as a lab freezer that has not been secured. The hacker could then use this access to gain entry to the broader network.

To assist your lab in creating a defense against incursions by cybercriminals, we suggest using the following best practices at a minimum.

Cybersecurity Best Practices to Protect Your Medical Lab 

Today’s modern medical labs and other healthcare organizations face an uphill battle when it comes to protecting data. After all, they are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals for the sensitive data they handle. In fact, ransomware attacks on these organizations have increased by 94% since 2021. To keep your lab more secure, consider deploying one or more of these best practices:

Use Core Baseline

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released guidelines for securing Internet of Things (IoT) devices. These Core Baseline rules provide a starting point for both users and manufacturers. For lab personnel, Core Baseline rules can help when choosing a connected device for lab use, whether the device is a coffee pot in the employee lounge or a lab freezer. The device should include several features that boost security, such as:

• A unique address on your computing network
• The ability to change or update security software
• Embedded encryption
• User authentication required for device access
• Ways to update the firmware and software, either manually or automatically
• Suspicious event logging

Remember, hackers are searching for the weakest link to gain access to your data. Every IoT device represents a possible point of entry. 

Create a Zero Trust Environment

Segment your lab cyber environment to prevent hackers from gaining access to all elements of lab workings or a wider institutional network. In addition, you should always require two-factor authentication (2FA) anywhere that you can in the lab. For a higher level of safety, require a time-based one-time password or a hardware key as the secondary factor for access. That way, even if a password is stolen, it still cannot be used. 

Seek Expert Help

Many healthcare organizations are working on strict budgets and have in-house IT teams that are overburdened with the work of keeping daily business on task. In addition, keeping up with emerging cyberthreats takes high-level talent that is current on new technologies. To gain access to this kind of talent without taking a hit to your labor budget, consider partnering with a third-party managed services provider (MSP) that can provide Managed IT assistance. Because Managed IT providers are hyperfocused on cybersecurity, they can offer the latest security strategies at a cost-effective rate. 

Trust Blue Technologies for Your Cybersecurity Needs

If you are managing a medical lab or any healthcare organization, you need to be laser focused on cybersecurity to ensure the sensitive data that you handle is protected. At Blue Technologies, we have assembled a team of IT experts that can help you and your team remain compliant with data privacy regulations and keep your network secured. 

Our team can expertly analyze your current infrastructure for weaknesses and create a custom-tailored cybersecurity strategy that will target and remove as many vulnerabilities as possible while strengthening your overall cybersecurity posture. 

Protect your medical lab from emerging cyberthreats. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant and learn how our team of cybersecurity experts can help.