Predicting Health IT Needs in 2015: Scratching the Data Security Itch

Dec 09, 2014

When we talk about healthcare security, there is one thing we can’t ignore; emerging cloud technologies. Several surveys this year show that businesses have mixed feelings about cloud technology and reconciling the efficiency it may bring to their business with security needs.

The problem is the “unknowns.” A study by Insight, a SaaS technology provider, showed that most businesses are moving towards the cloud for efficiencies but don’t have a deep trust in cloud security.

“The unknowns of security were the most common concerns that prevent shifting operations to the cloud.”

Even though they’re nervous about security risks, IT leaders are still taking the leap. Why? – It’s cheaper.

The Insight study showed that key concepts resonating with participants were that cloud services saved them money by minimalizing infrastructure costs and reducing reliance on internal IT functions.

Cheaper is better right? In this case, absolutely.

But that’s because cloud technologies aren’t just making things cheaper, they’re making things better. Advances in cloud technology have mitigated the security risks of previous years, making them the more secure option, as well as the cheaper option. Enterprise and Healthcare organizations can now do more with less.

For this reason, we’re making our one and only 2015 prediction for the healthcare industry – Data security will be the #1 priority.

This focus on data security comes on the heels of an apparent shift in data storage and transport to cloud, as well as multiple data breaches the industry has endured this year, such as the Community Health Systemsbreach, and they are not to be taken lightly.

Data Breaches – A Villain In The World of Health IT

IDC conducted a health predictions survey for 2015. They found that by 2015, 50 percent of healthcare organizations will have experienced one to five cyber-attacks in the previous 13 months, with one of three attacks being successful.

This boils down to a likelihood of two data breaches a year – that’s a lot of risk.

On top of these growing cyber-attacks, healthcare organizations are going to have to deal with data they’ve created in the Digital Universe floating around unprotected. IDC reported that by 2020, 80% of all healthcare data will be passed through cloud. 42 percent of this data will be unprotected, with all of it needing to be protected.

This means more unprotected data, and more unprotected data means more data breaches.

So where are these healthcare organizations going to start? They’re starting where data breaches occur most often – endpoints.

Health IT Pros Will Focus On Endpoint Security

Security professionals already know that endpoints are at risk. According to the Digital Guardian Endpoint Security Survey, professionals know they need to focus on endpoint security, but their responses still seem tactical and incident driven. They’re playing defense, not offense.

“It’s time to take a more holistic view of endpoint security and determine which tools, such as advanced malware detection and granular data security, will and should top the list of any comprehensive solution, whether that’s from a single vendor or a combination of best-of-breed technologies,” Jon Oltsik, Senior Principal Analyst at ESG told the Guardian.

Okay, so we know there’s a problem. But despite recognition of that problem, endpoints are still at risk and data breaches are increasing.

According to the digital guardian, more than one third of respondents aren’t addressing the problem efficiently. The good news is, it looks like they’re going to start.

Put Your Tech Budget Where Your Mouth Is

IT executives aren’t just talking about a need for better security, their actions show it. The Computer World 2015 Forecast predicted an increase of spending on security technologies of 46 percent in 2015. This is a larger increase than any other tech spending, including cloud computing and business analytics.

The Digital Guardian survey helped to affirm this, noting that more than half of respondents increased their budgets for endpoint security in 2015.

Security spending is growing fast and network security is where it needs to start.

Here at ETHERFAX, we are at the forefront of network security technology for healthcare and enterprise industries. Our patented technology provides a secure network for organizations to transport business and health-care critical data securely by leveraging the cloud.

ETHERFAX has eliminated healthcare’s endpoint security concerns with our Secure Exchange Network. ETHERFAX SEN guarantees military-grade secure document transport and delivery for all members of the ETHERFAX ecosystem.

We have helped multiple healthcare organizations achieve for network security. Sending millions of fax pages a day for healthcare and enterprise industries, ETHERFAX Is experiencing this need first-hand – and this number is only growing.

It’s now the time for healthcare organizations to take data transport seriously. For more information on how ETHERFAX can help you, please contact us.

Paul Banco

As CEO of ETHERFAX®, Banco is responsible for the strategic direction of the company and leads technology development, including the patented ETHERFAX and ETHERFAX SEN intellectual property. Banco helped organizations automate their fax server operations. As a visionary, he identified the need to leverage the cloud for secure document delivery and co-founded ETHERFAX in 2009 with other telecom industry veterans.

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