The following is a guest article by Boris Dzhingarov.
As an increasing number of healthcare institutions undergo digital transformation, they have to deal with the accompanying security risks. These risks vary from business to business because healthcare institutions set up their IT infrastructure differently. A major part of digital transformation is the adoption of cloud computing, which helps companies increase productivity, communicate better, and run more efficiently.
Cloud computing platforms are complex and can have several attack vectors that cybercriminals can exploit to gain unauthorized access to them. If these malicious actors successfully gain access to the system, they will launch different types of cyber attacks like data breaches, malware injections, and DDoS attacks. To prevent these security incidents, cloud security professionals should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and patch the loopholes that can be exploited.
What is Vulnerability Assessment?
This is the process through which cybersecurity professionals scan the components of a healthcare organization’s IT systems to find and classify the vulnerabilities that exist in the system. The vulnerabilities are then prioritized in order of severity and the level of damage they can cause to the organization if exploited. This vulnerability prioritization helps healthcare companies wisely allocate resources to address the detected vulnerabilities.
Everything found during the vulnerability assessment process will be compiled into a report and presented to the healthcare company’s management so they can make informed decisions on how to best protect themselves. It is essential that this process is repeated often so any vulnerability undetected in one assessment can be found in another.
Types of Vulnerability Assessment
There are five types of vulnerability assessment scans, and each is targeted at a different part of the IT infrastructure. They are as listed below:
Network-based scan
This scan is done to find the vulnerabilities that exist on the wired and wireless networks in an organization and prevent network security attacks.
Wireless network scan
Wireless network scans are focused on the components of an IT infrastructure that provides wireless internet access. Cybersecurity professionals perform this scan to find rogue access points and ensure that the network has a secure configuration.
Application scan
This scan is done to find vulnerabilities in the software healthcare companies use for their operations. These can be vulnerabilities in the code and unsecure configurations.
Host-based scan
This type of scan is used to identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in network hosts, like servers and workstations.
Database scan
Cybersecurity professionals use this type of scan to find the weak points in a database so they can prevent SQL injections and other attacks.
Benefits of Vulnerability Assessments
Vulnerability assessments allow cybersecurity professionals to proactively find the security gaps in a healthcare organization’s IT infrastructure, preventing the damage cyber attacks can cause. It also helps companies smartly allocate resources and make informed decisions that will effectively protect them from cyber threats.
Endnote
For a vulnerability assessment process to be effective and successful, cybersecurity professionals should carefully follow all the necessary steps. They should also carefully prioritize all the vulnerabilities they detect and adequately allocate resources so they can be patched quickly. This is essential because it is almost impossible to fix all the vulnerabilities at the same time.
About Boris Dzhingarov
Boris Dzhingarov is a marketer and a journalist. He graduated from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia with a major in marketing. He contributes to multiple websites and portals.
Dzhingarov is a proud sponsor of Healthcare Scene.
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