Healthcare Networks: Architecture, Security, and Recent Developments

Running head: HEALTHCARE NETWORKS
HEALTHCARE NETWORKS
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1HEALTHCARE NETWORKS
Table of Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................................2
Literature review on healthcare networks...................................................................2
Healthcare network architecture.............................................................................2
Recent developments in the healthcare networks...................................................4
Importance of network security in healthcare networks.........................................5
Security issues in healthcare networks.....................................................................7
Recommendation.........................................................................................................7
Conclusion.................................................................................................................... 8
References....................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
The purpose of this report is to discuss about the network of healthcare
organisations. A detailed literature review discussing the network of a healthcare
organisation is provided. The architecture of a healthcare network is provided in this report.
A detailed discussion of the networking devices such as routers, firewalls, switches, and
servers is provided in this report. The recent developments in the network of a healthcare
organisation is stated in this report. The significance of implemented security in the
healthcare network is discussed. The analysis of current three major security issues to the
healthcare networks is executed in report. An appropriate solution for one of the threats to
the identified issues is provided. Lastly, this report concludes by providing an appropriate
conclusion for this report.
The network technology has spread to various sector of the society. It is majorly
used in the sectors of healthcare, education, finance, and gaming. The use of network
technology can be beneficial for the healthcare sector as it can be used to provide better
services to the patients and maintain the security of a healthcare organisation. The
implementation of IoT and AI in the systems of a healthcare organisation has made the
functions of the organisation more swift and efficient [1].
Literature review on healthcare networks
Healthcare network architecture
The network of a healthcare organisation commonly consists of switches, firewalls,
servers, and routers. The exchange of information among various organisation is carried out
using these devices [2].

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Firewall: The firewall in a system is a network security measure that is used for
monitoring and controlling all the outgoing and incoming network traffic on the basis of
predefined protocols. It creates an effective barrier between the internal trusted network
and an untrusted exterior network. The categories of firewall are host based firewalls and
network firewalls. The function of network firewall is to filter the traffic among two or
additional networks and execute on the hardware of the network. The firewalls that are
host based executed on the host computers by controlling movement the network traffic
[3].
Servers: In the sector of networking, a server is the computer program that offers
functionality for several programs or clients. This specific architecture is called client-server
model. A specific computation is disseminated across several devices or processes. Servers
are implemented in the healthcare sector to exchange information among the various
departments and manage the information efficiently. A specific server can support several
clients, and an individual client can access multiple servers. Servers are an integral part of
the network of a healthcare organisation. It provides the facility of effective management of
patient records, monitor and store the data from the research in labs, and many other
functions. Some servers are specifically designed for fulfilling the need of implementing
virtualised data centres and strong physical servers. The requirement of efficient processing
capability in a hospital is achieved with the help of robust servers [4].
Routers: The implementation of routers in a healthcare organisation is essential for
effective monitoring of the movement of packets in the network. These packets can be
altered in the network for performing specific functions within the network. The capabilities
of routers are different and more advanced than the devices such as switches and hub. The