Flawless Program Implementation is Crucial to IoMT Security

Over the past several years, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices have proliferated within the healthcare industry. While these devices enhance patient care, they also introduce security risks for the networks they operate on. Traditional IT and security tools do not provide health delivery organizations (HDOs) with the visibility and management options they need to secure their IoMT devices.

To overcome these challenges, HDOs may invest in IoT monitoring and security tools. A purpose-built IoMT platform can significantly increase visibility into connected devices and integrate into an HDO’s existing tech stack. However, effective and correct implementation is crucial to making the most out of this investment.

IoMT Security Implementation Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

Healthcare has long been a favorite target for threat actors, and disruptive cyberattacks such as ransomware are only increasing in frequency and severity. According to the FBI, of the 1,193 reported ransomware attacks in 2023, the healthcare sector experienced 249—or 20.9%—more than any other critical infrastructure industry.

Protecting healthcare systems against ransomware attacks can be complicated. Many HDOs have fragile, piecemeal security implementations and a multitude of connected devices to defend. Because IoT and IoMT devices are newer technologies, they lack formal security and configuration standards, making integrating and monitoring these devices challenging.

Adding to the complexity, no two HDOS are alike— each has different IoMT devices, and their interaction with other devices on the network varies. To avoid security concerns associated with IoMT devices, HDOs should implement an IoMT security monitoring and management solution tailored to their specific tech stack.

Critical IoMT Security Integrations to Achieve Flawless Implementation

HDOs face an uphill battle in defending their network against cyber attacks. In a post-COVID era, many hospitals operate on meager budgets, meaning what budget is available is generally earmarked for technology rather than security. Even when HDOs have the financial means to invest in security, many organizations lack the in-house staff to address cybersecurity risks in the face of a cybersecurity skills shortage that has created over 4 million unfilled openings.

To create a strong, layered defense, HDOs can leverage a purpose-built IoMT security monitoring and management solution. The right IoMT vendor partner will augment an HDO’s existing staff to scale their security response capabilities and ensure they get the most value from their implementation. When considering an IoMT vendor partner, HDOs should consider how it integrates into their overarching IT and cybersecurity technology stacks to provide a comprehensive view of their attack surface. 

Risk Assessments & Device Visibility

A risk assessment helps HDOs identify potential risks related to IoMT devices. When performed correctly, it helps reduce the probability of a cyber attack.

While risk assessments are generally performed during the medical device procurement process, understanding the risks associated with the connected devices on the network is foundational to implementing a robust security program.

Similarly, for HDOs to have a complete and accurate picture of their risk profile, they need to find and identify all connected devices on the network, including both IoMT and standard IT devices. The Asimily platform will scan an HDO’s entire network, locating all connected devices and their communication paths to create a device inventory.

A device inventory also helps HDOs understand their attack surface, which is the totality of all possible entry points a malicious user can try to compromise to gain access to a network or information. With a comprehensive IoMT inventory, security and IT teams can collaborate more effectively, enabling them to share responsibilities when necessary.

Targeted Segmentation

While security controls like microsegmentation can help reduce risk, they aren’t always practical in a healthcare setting. An IoMT MRI can’t necessarily be segmented from the rest of the network; it needs to send imaging results for analysis. Instead, HDOs can implement targeted segmentation to quickly and efficiently mitigate cyber risk.

Targeted segmentation targets IoMT devices by attack vector, applying remediations to devices vulnerable to a specific attack vector, effectively blocking a threat actor from targeting them. This is a simple and low-cost way to eliminate risk for thousands of devices. For example, even if an HDO has thousands of IoMT devices, they may only need to manage a few dozen attack vectors across all devices.

By integrating a purpose-built IoMT platform into the network, HDOs can see how many devices they have and which devices are vulnerable to high-risk attack vectors to deploy the simplest and fastest remediation strategy without impacting device operations.

Robust Vulnerability Monitoring and Detection

As with any other connected device, IoMT devices require robust monitoring to detect and resolve critical vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, traditional vulnerability management tooling is ineffective at best for detecting and mitigating the weaknesses in IoMT devices. Applying patches can also require taking a connected device offline for an extended period of time; this is challenging at best for devices that provide critical patient care.

The Asimily platform takes a different approach to vulnerability management, providing targeted recommendations for vulnerability management. Asimily is designed to understand the specific context of how each device is configured, where it sits in the system architecture, its importance to the organization, and how likely it is to be exploited. For example, if Asimily detects an IoMT device with a critical vulnerability, but that device only communicates with one workstation and has no advanced privileges, then maybe that vulnerability can be deprioritized, saving HDOs time and resources to address other-high-priority risks.

Threat Intelligence & Disaster Monitoring

Threat intelligence feeds provide insight into real-world threat actor activity, including current vulnerability exploits and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). When HDOs select an IoMT management platform that leverages real-time threat intelligence, they increase their effectiveness and, in the event of a cyberattack, can respond and recover faster.

An unfortunate reality of our highly connected digital economy is that cyberattacks happen, but they don’t have to translate into business interruptions. In the event of a cyberattack, Asimily, with its rapid response features, quickly captures packets to aid incident responders. With Asimily, security teams can keep a handle on their IoT attack surface and ensure they are as safe as possible, providing a sense of reassurance and security.

How Asimily Helps HDOs Build a Holistic IoMT Security Program

The Asimily platform was purpose-built to provide tailored insights into an organization’s entire fleet of IoMT devices, but beyond that, we help HDOs scale their healthcare technology management (HTM) teams. Leveraging Asimily’s advanced risk-based analysis, vulnerability prioritization, and device management capabilities empowers HDO to mature their IoMT security and risk management. 

With Asimily, teams have immediate insights into the best practices for managing and mitigating their cyber risk. This makes it easier than ever to flawlessly scale new IoMT security implementation and derive more value from their security platform over the long term. And because cyber risk is highly dynamic and specific to each HDO, the Asimily platform can be fully customized to meet the needs of each organization.

With Asimily, HDOs can be confident they have a handle on their cyber risk and can focus on providing superior patient care.

To learn more about Asimily, download our whitepaper, IoT Device Security in 2024: The High Cost of Doing Nothing, or contact us today.