By By Dan Hounsell

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the expansion of healthcare information technology designed to bring services outside the walls of hospitals and other healthcare facilities. These telehealth advances have facilitated care that might not otherwise have been provided in a safe and timely manner.

While the combination of new technologies and increased connectivity has the power to enhance the healthcare sector, it is also important for IT managers to fully understand the downside: increased connectivity expands the attack surface of the technology environment, according to Security.

One key aspect of safeguarding any network involves minimizing the attack surface presented by a healthcare device. Restricting physical access and hardening devices will reduce the risk of compromise.

To achieve this goal, managers need to consider configuring settings securely that will prevent unauthorized physical and remote access to the device, disabling the use of vulnerable protocols that are frequently targeted by attackers and using robust password policies that incorporate multi-factor authentication.