Keeping devices and data secure in healthcare environments is crucial, especially for clinicians and caregivers. This task becomes even more challenging when professionals leave the controlled environment of healthcare settings and venture into patients’ homes. During those moments when clinicians and caregivers step outside these secure perimeters, they face the constant threat of data breaches and device security issues. To counter such risks, mobile healthcare professionals should prioritize two main goals: safeguarding their devices and ensuring the security of the networks and applications they use. Achieving these goals requires effective strategies and tools. Here we outline four key steps that can help healthcare professionals enhance mobile security.
1. Enforce Devices with Built-In, Premium Security
To ensure ultra-mobile workers have the appropriate level of security, it is essential to use devices that are not only convenient but also protected against loss, theft, and unauthorized usage. This balance can be achieved by enforcing control over device selection through programs such as Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) or Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled (COPE). These approaches allow the organization to maintain a tighter grip on the security parameters of the devices, ensuring a baseline of trust and integrity.Opt for devices that come equipped with trusted features like Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) key stores, burned-in digital certificates, secure boot technology to block device rollback and rooting, and firmware-based kernel checking. Such features provide a robust hardware foundation that makes the protection of devices, applications, and Personally Identifiable Information (PPI) much more manageable. Samsung’s Knox Suite offers a comprehensive and simplified toolkit for managing these devices. By bundling Samsung’s most popular Knox management solutions, it provides a cohesive approach to device security that is highly effective in healthcare settings.
2. Safeguard Devices with Advanced Tools
Once a secure hardware base is established, layering on advanced software tools is imperative to increase security. Begin by choosing a robust Mobile Device Management (MDM) tool capable of handling all the expected devices while ensuring enrollment in the MDM occurs before field deployment. This early enrollment is crucial, as it helps configure the devices correctly from the start, minimizing vulnerabilities.To combat potential security breaches, implement strong controls within the MDM, such as enforcing specific app store choices to approve only recognized stores, maintaining application block lists to prevent the installation of unauthorized apps, and mandating regular software updates for both operating systems and installed applications. Additionally, ensure the MDM includes remote device-wipe capabilities and stringent device-unlock authentication controls.Further bolster security by adding next-generation endpoint security tools designed to detect and block malware, delivering host intrusion prevention similar to traditional antivirus tools on Windows systems. Mobile devices face different types of malware threats due to their unique operating systems; hence, advanced detection tools are necessary. Consider using device partitioning to divide the mobile device into isolated partitions for “work” and “home.” This separation is particularly vital for compliance in healthcare, where dual-use devices are common. Android Enterprise’s Work Profile feature can create an isolated environment ensuring work applications remain secure and separate from personal usage, simplifying both compliance and user experience.
3. Implement Advanced Authentication
Traditional two-factor authentication methods pose challenges for healthcare workers, especially those who routinely wear gloves, making fingerprint readers impractical. To address these challenges, consider devices that offer hands-free biometric authentication, such as the facial recognition capabilities built into Samsung mobile devices and tablets. Not only do these methods simplify unlocking devices, but they also provide a higher security level for application authentication.Biometric authentication can replace easily stolen passwords, enhancing security while reducing the complexity of access. By employing standards like FIDO, organizations can extend biometric authentication from the device to the application level, ensuring a secure and streamlined authentication process.Additionally, implementing faster authentication methods is critical to minimizing frustration among healthcare workers. Security features often add complexity that can disrupt workflows, so solutions should enhance productivity and patient care. Integrating mobile devices and wearables into everyday healthcare workflows offers easy access to real-time patient data and essential communication channels, minimizing disruptions to demanding workloads.
4. Adopt a Zero-Trust Model
Maintaining the security of devices and data in healthcare settings is vital, particularly for clinicians and caregivers. This responsibility becomes significantly more complex when these professionals leave the controlled environment of healthcare facilities and enter patients’ homes. In such scenarios, stepping beyond secure perimeters introduces considerable risks of data breaches and device vulnerabilities. To mitigate these threats, mobile healthcare professionals must focus on two primary objectives: protecting their devices and ensuring the security of the networks and applications they rely on.Attaining these objectives requires implementing effective strategies and employing the right tools. Here, we present four essential steps that can aid healthcare professionals in bolstering mobile security.First, healthcare providers should use strong, unique passwords for all devices and applications. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access. Second, they must ensure that all software, including operating systems and applications, is kept up-to-date to protect against vulnerabilities. Third, health professionals should leverage encryption to protect sensitive data both at rest and during transmission. Lastly, employing reliable security software can provide an additional layer of defense against malware and other cyber threats.By incorporating these steps, healthcare professionals can enhance the security of their mobile practices, safeguarding both their devices and the sensitive data they handle. This approach ensures that even when they venture into less secure environments, they maintain a strong defense against potential security breaches.
