There is so much at stake in a healthcare system in terms of information and delivery of timely data. As such, health providers can’t afford to have vulnerabilities or weaknesses in their identity and access management (IAM) strategy.
The loss of patient data, misapplication of prescription information or inaccurate metrics all have significant ramifications for health organizations, as well as the medical personnel and management that rely on that information being protected and available to them. The same goes for patients. There are many tools now where a patient can log in and see their own health information as part of a larger system that houses thousands of patient records. Chief Information Officers who have faced problems or know of the dangers have turned to robust IAM system providers like Tools4Ever (https://tools4ever.com) to fill the vacuum and help protect systems all over.
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Going Beyond Basic Credentials
Any IT system with multiple users already utilizes some kind of credentialing. Most people are familiar with this in the form of logins and passwords. However, a robust IAM approach exceeds the bare minimum and adds in additional layers, both to increase resistance to penetration as well as to provide secondary and tertiary layers of defense.
The goal is both prevention and deterrence. While certain players can eventually get into many systems, the amount of energy and resources needed to do so becomes too expensive for whatever will be gained.
Finding the Right Balance
Of course, having too much restriction in an IAM system makes it unusable in a health setting. Medical providers and CIOs need to be able to access data and patient files timely. Being hung up by identity controls that are too restrictive ends up producing far too many access rejections that are false positives, and that can have a serious negative impact on patient service delivery.
A fine balance is needed for flexibility that can address access for staff, visiting medical partners, contractors, support services, and third parties connected with a health system. At the same time, the protections noted above regarding data and patient files still have to be strong and maintain minimum fault tolerance.
IAM Responsibility Doesn’t Go Away With Tech Advancement
Regardless of what new technology becomes available, such as the cloud and artificial intelligence, management accountability for robust IAM support and maintenance remains. As technology’s span covers more and more information, accountability increases in size and scope as well.
Breaches aren’t just one file; they can involve thousands of patients impacted and multiple financial accounts being put at risk. So, whom a health entity system provides access to is just as important as what information its people use to support patients, which CIOs should take into account when choosing the right IAM program for their organization. Choosing the right approach is what health providers can definitely control up front.
