INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY
HOSPITALS UNDER SIEGE Cybersecurity protects Canada’s health system from attacks By Nasir Mundh & Yves Renaud
W
ith more Canadians working from home, a spike in the volume of business being conducted online and the number of connected devices in buildings growing at an ever-increasing rate, organizations have seen a rise in cybersecurity-related issues. Healthcare facilities are no exception to these incidents. A 2020 global report showed Canada’s healthcare sector experienced the most dramatic increase compared to other countries, with a 250 per cent uptick in attacks. This is especially concerning during a time when hospitals are oper50 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
ating at full capacity and cannot afford any downtime. As healthcare facilities adopt and deploy new technologies, how can they effectively manage the cybersecurity aspect of operations and protect themselves and their data? Although no system will ever be foolproof, there are key considerations every hospital administrator, facility manager, IoT (Internet of Things) engineer and software developer should keep in mind to minimize any damage and protect patients. Only then can hospitals identify and adopt best practices to effec-
tively manage threats and mitigate cybersecurity risks. DIGITAL FACILITY ECOSYSTEM
Cybersecurity for healthcare facilities is subject to extremely stringent standards and protocols. And rightfully so. Hospitals are a critical institution — when it comes to public health and saving patient lives, tampering with digital devices is simply unacceptable. The very nature of the work these cyber systems and software manage are integral to a hospital’s success and positive patient outcomes.
