Sensitive Data Requires Great Responsibility: The Importance of ‘Privacy and Security by Design’ in Healthcare

In healthcare, sensitive data comes with great responsibility. For companies entrusted with managing and protecting patients’ personal information, ensuring the privacy of that data must be the highest priority. These companies are called to act as vigilant guardians, especially when you consider that secure and accurate data can literally save lives.

Enter the concept of ‘privacy and security by design,’ an approach that goes beyond merely meeting compliance standards and, instead, embedding security at the very core of business operations. With privacy and security as non-negotiable foundations, organizations can effectively fortify their defenses — as long as they continue to adapt to new technology and ever-evolving cyber threats.

Here are some of the essential principles and practices that underpin ‘privacy and security by design,’ enabling health organizations to safeguard patient data and ensure the highest level of privacy and security in their operations.

Limit data collection to only what’s necessary

The first step in fortifying the security of healthcare data is to limit data collection to the bare essentials. Often, organizations collect more data than they actually need, inadvertently increasing the risk of exposure. By taking a minimalist approach to data collection, companies not only reduce the amount of sensitive information at risk but also simplify data management.

This approach aligns with the principle of data minimization, a key aspect of privacy regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and HIPAA. By collecting only what is strictly necessary for the intended purpose, healthcare organizations reduce their data footprint and, at the same time, their potential attack surface.

Employ appropriate encryption for data in transit and at rest

Encryption lies at the heart of data security. It ensures that even if unauthorized actors gain access to data, they cannot decipher it without the necessary decryption keys. In healthcare, where patient data constantly moves between devices and systems, employing appropriate encryption for data in transit is a non-negotiable requirement.

Moreover, data at rest, stored on servers and in databases, is equally susceptible to breaches. Strong encryption measures, such as end-to-end encryption and advanced encryption algorithms, provide an additional layer of security. In the event of a breach, encrypted data remains indecipherable, safeguarding the privacy of patients and maintaining the integrity of healthcare records.

Practice daily blocking and tackling to maintain strong security posture

When it comes to healthcare data security, a proactive stance is vital. It’s not enough to set up defenses and assume they will remain impenetrable forever. Threat landscapes evolve, and cybercriminals become more sophisticated with every passing day. To uphold a strong security posture, healthcare organizations must prioritize daily blocking and tackling.

This means practicing not only the cybersecurity basics — like backing up data, using multi-factor authentication and handling passwords securely — but also employing more advanced tactics, including developing a hierarchical cybersecurity policy, simplifying technology infrastructure and ensuring IoT security. It also means continuously monitoring, threat hunting, patching and reducing your attack surfaces where possible. 

To hold organizations accountable to these cybersecurity best practices, it’s essential to regularly audit and test your systems. Audits serve as a comprehensive review of an organization’s security infrastructure, policies and procedures, and can help identify vulnerabilities and areas that require improvement. Readiness tests or mock event/breach exercises, on the other hand, involve simulated cyber attacks to assess the effectiveness of an organization’s current security measures in a real-world scenario. By continuously evaluating and refining their security protocols, healthcare companies can stay ahead of potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Stay informed about industry threats and security 

The field of cybersecurity is dynamic and ever-evolving. New threats emerge, and innovative solutions are developed to counter them. To remain effective in safeguarding healthcare data, organizations must stay informed about the latest developments in the security landscape.

Staying safe requires actively monitoring security news, particularly, reading reports and alerts from third parties as well as real-time feeds from the proper channels to stay up-to-date with the latest intel. Organizations should also seek out opportunities, where possible, to participate in industry-specific forums and collaborate with cybersecurity experts. In addition, it’s essential to prioritize regular staff training to keep cybersecurity skills sharp and foster a culture of security awareness within the organization. By keeping their knowledge current, healthcare organizations can adapt quickly to emerging threats and implement the necessary defenses, ensuring that patient data remains secure in the face of continuously evolving risks.

In healthcare, the responsibility of safeguarding sensitive data isn’t just a legal or ethical obligation — it’s a matter of life and death. By the same token, ‘privacy and security by design’ isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a fundamental approach that not only acknowledges the gravity of this responsibility but allows healthcare organizations to build an advanced security posture that goes above and beyond compliance requirements to protect the privacy and well-being of patients.

About Chris Bowen

Chris is the Founder and Chief Information Security Officer at ClearDATA. He leads ClearDATA’s internal privacy, security and compliance strategies as well as advises on the security and privacy risks faced by customers, which include global healthcare organizations, health insurance companies, providers, life science companies, and market-leading innovators from Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe. Mr. Bowen also leads ClearDATA’s international security risk consulting practice and has provided counsel to some of the world’s largest healthcare organizations.

He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT) from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a Certified Cloud Security Professional from (ISC)2. As one of the leading experts on patient privacy and health data security, Chris has authored dozens of articles and is a frequent speaker at national healthcare industry events.

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