Most healthcare security professionals are now familiar with the zero-trust framework. Though aspects of the security model have existed for years, former Forrester analyst John Kindervag coined the term for the “never trust, always verify” approach in 2009.
While healthcare still lags behind industries such as software and financial services when it comes to zero-trust adoption, 47 percent of healthcare organizations already have a defined zero-trust security initiative in place, and 38 percent have plans to begin one in the next six to 12 months, according to Okta.
To get there, security leaders should take the following steps:
- Guide strategic investments. Adopting a zero-trust approach can push organizations to streamline their investments, offering a new lens through which IT and business leaders can view potential solutions. This particularly impacts organizations with significant technical debt.
- Meet compliance requirements. Compliance is an issue distinct from but related to cybersecurity, but even initial zero-trust steps should align with regulatory and industry mandates, especially with regard to cyber insurance.
- Enhance business agility. A stronger security framework is ultimately a business enabler. When healthcare organizations are certain that their data is protected, they can focus on enhancing patient care.
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