Network segmentation best practices are a crucial component of any business network. However, this sentiment is more relevant to some industries than others, with the healthcare sector being a leading example.
For starters, network segmentation is all about dividing a network into smaller, isolated zones. This also comes with distinct security policies and access controls. In healthcare, network segmentation is important to separate things like medical devices, EHRs, and all the way down to the guest Wi-Fi.
The focus on healthcare here is due to the fact that it’s a major target for cyber threats, and has been for decades. For this article, you’re getting a closer look at network segmentation best practices in healthcare and why it’s so important for patient and health data security.
How Does Network Segmentation Improve Cyber Security for Healthcare?
There are quite a few benefits to segmenting a network in the healthcare industry. From isolating patient databases to billing systems, there is a long list of potential vulnerabilities throughout a healthcare organization’s network.
Here are a few ways network segmentation helps to improve healthcare cybersecurity:
- Prevents unauthorized access by ensuring only approved users and systems can reach sensitive data
- Effectively contains threats by stopping ransomware or breaches from taking advantage of lateral movement
- Supports HIPAA and other compliance requirements like HITECH through strict access controls
- Promises healthcare information technology security and secures IoT and medical devices by isolating vulnerable endpoints
However, knowing the benefits is just one part of the puzzle, and they won’t mean much if you don’t know how to apply them all. That’s where the network segmentation best practices come in, a crucial component for any IT team to understand in the healthcare sector.
Best Practices for Effective Network Segmentation in Healthcare
From identifying your critical assets to creating a Zero Trust architecture, there’s a lot that can be done to prevent data breaches in healthcare. However, it’s helpful to know that it isn’t a single comprehensive solution that will provide effective results. It requires a layered architecture from hardware to policies and more.
1. Identify Critical Assets and Data Flows
The critical assets here include aspects like EHR systems, imaging archives, lab databases, and billing platforms, to name a few. It’s equally crucial for healthcare systems and IT teams to understand how data flows within their networks.
Visualizing system dependencies and classifying network zones are important for locating security gaps and assigning stricter control measures. On top of that, improving visibility and efficiency here can enable faster threat detection and response times.
2. Implement a Zero Trust Architecture
With a Zero Trust architecture, you put your network in a position to continuously authenticate and validate every access request across the board. This includes implementations like identity-based access controls, enforcing the principle of least privilege, and including multi-factor authentication.
Zero Trust works to support real-time security and monitoring across your network, protecting sensitive healthcare data on a much more critical level. Regardless of the origin, data access requests will always have to go through authentication and validation.
3. Enforcing Least Privilege Access
A core aspect of Zero Trust architecture, the scope of least privilege access focuses on restricting access for users, devices, and applications. For more context, it’s about attaching only the most necessary permissions to specific roles so there’s no overlap.
It works to limit data exposure to the wrong people or devices, and does wonders for minimizing lateral movement. Other benefits here include auditing user roles and permissions regularly and supporting HIPAA compliance along the way.
4. Separate Medical IoT and Administrative Networks
Whether it’s IoT devices, Wi-Fi connections, or critical operations across the network, all should be segmented. This is where microsegmentation comes in, as the fine-grained control offers help with monitoring and containment between all network segments.
It helps to prevent compromised devices from accessing sensitive data, as well as minimizing your attack surfaces by keeping specific devices and systems isolated. Another supportive measure here is to use VLANs to divide networks on the same physical infrastructure you’re working with.
5. Continuous Monitoring and Threat Detection
With the help of IDS and IPS, you can effectively detect and prevent suspicious network activity in real time. Monitoring endpoints is a big part of this as well, which helps to maintain strong visibility across all devices and network segments.
It doesn’t hurt to automate alerts either, as this can be a game-changer for detecting anomalies that span multiple network zones. With behavioral analytics, you can identify unusual patterns in user or device activity. All of this is another component of network segmentation while supporting compliance and risk management at the same time.
Common Segmentation Mistakes to Avoid in Health Data Security
Network segmentation is important for both sides of the coin in healthcare and cybersecurity. However, there are known mistakes when it comes to this topic that you want to do your best to avoid.
Here’s a quick list to keep in your back pocket when navigating network segmentation for healthcare organizations:
- Avoid overcomplicating segmentation, as this can end up slowing down workflows for the staff
- Find a balance between security and efficiency to guarantee that proper patient care is maintained
- Never drop the ball on continuous monitoring and policy enforcement so you can effectively address evolving threats
- Never ignore IoT device isolation, considering unsegmented devices are easy entry points
- Don’t forget to document every change that occurs on the network to remain proactive and accurate in decision-making while supporting compliance
It can all sound rather technical, but the points mentioned in this article are a must for the healthcare sector. Data breaches for this industry have proven to be devastating on more than one occasion, and this is true for the organizations as well as their patients.
Let’s Wrap Up
There’s no question that network segmentation best practices are vital for protecting patient data as well as healthcare systems and devices. By dividing networks into zones and continuously monitoring every layer, healthcare operations can remain proactive towards evolving digital threats.
While segmentation is a crucial component to network security as a whole, it’s far from the only necessary strategy. Come have a chat with us at Firewalls to gain more insight into the architecture, hardware, and solutions your healthcare network needs to remain protected.
FAQ
What is Network Segmentation in Healthcare?
Network segmentation divides a healthcare network into smaller, isolated zones, coupled with tailored access controls to protect sensitive data and internal systems.
Why is Network Segmentation Important for Cyber Security for Healthcare?
It prevents unauthorized access, limits the spread of cyberattacks, and safeguards sensitive information such as lab results and EHRs.
How does Zero Trust Architecture Complement Segmentation
Zero Trust continuously authenticates and verifies every access request, guaranteeing only authorized users and devices can interact with critical systems.
What Role do IoT Devices Play in Network Segmentation?
Medical IoT devices are often vulnerable, and isolating them in dedicated network segments prevents them from being used as entry points for cyber threats.
What are the Common Mistakes to Avoid in Healthcare Segmentation?
Overcomplicating networks, neglecting IoT isolation, failing to continuously monitor, and missing critical documentation in network changes can weaken security, affect compliance, and disrupt workflows for staff.
