HealthcareCISO

A new study conducted by Medigate and CrowdStrike has highlighted the extent to which healthcare Internet of Things (IoT) devices are being targeted by threat actors and warns about the worrying state of IoT security in the healthcare industry.

The number of IoT devices being used in healthcare has increased significantly in recent years as connected health drives a revolution in care delivery. Healthcare providers are increasingly reliant on IoT devices to perform a range of essential functions, and while the devices offer huge clinical benefits, full consideration should be given to cybersecurity.

Cyber threat actors have disproportionately targeted healthcare organizations for many years due to the high value of healthcare data, the ease at which it can be monetized, and the relatively poor cybersecurity defenses in healthcare compared to other industry sectors. The rapid adoption of IoT devices has resulted in a major increase in the attack surface which gives cyber actors even more opportunities to conduct attacks. Further, IoT devices often have weaker cybersecurity controls than other devices and can provide an easy entry point into healthcare networks.

The study included a survey of healthcare organizations to determine...