Network Security Challenges and Solutions in Healthcare Networks

This report provides a comprehensive overview of network security within the healthcare sector. It begins with an introduction to network security, emphasizing its importance in protecting sensitive patient data. A literature review explores the use of healthcare networks and the devices involved, such as routers, firewalls, and switches. The report then examines recent developments in healthcare networks, including the adoption of AI, blockchain, and the Internet of Medical Things, and their impact on security. The core of the report focuses on the importance of security in healthcare networks, highlighting potential security issues like ransomware, legacy medical hardware and software vulnerabilities, and phishing attacks. It concludes by proposing possible solutions, such as data backup, intrusion detection systems, and secure web applications, to mitigate these threats and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of healthcare data. The report also includes references to support the findings.

Overview of network security

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................1
Literature review on Healthcare Networks................................................................................1
Recent developments in healthcare networks.........................................................................2
The importance of security in healthcare networks................................................................3
Possible potential security issues in Healthcare Networks........................................................3
Possible solutions...................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

Introduction
Network security is important for every organisation as it enables security in all the
resources and assets. Network security act as a defence for all the layers as it protects all the
resources and offers integrity to the data packets. It identifies various threats and stops them
to penetrate in the system. In health care network, security helps in securing the data from all
the third party users. In health care networks security is maintained by firewalls that do not
allow unauthenticated user to access the data. In this report, the focus is upon the health care
networks and how steps could be taken to protect the network from all the bugs. The first part
of the report focuses upon the architecture of health care networks and the devices that are
needed to transfer data from one network to other.
Literature review on Healthcare Networks
It is observed that medical institutions are using computer networks and healthcare
network technology to make sure that data remain secure and allow access to information
through a centralised system. Health care centres have adopted the use of healthcare networks
so that the problems of authentication, security and privacy are resolved. In the network
architecture, there are various devices that offer benefits. The network architecture consists of
routers, firewalls, switches and hubs [1]. Hubs are a device that is used to link various
components with the servers and workstations. They are basically used to support various
clusters in the network. Switches are also used to move the data packets from one device to
other [8]. Switching devices are used to connect network adapters to MAC address. Router is
a device that is used to send the data packets from one network segment to another. Theses
network devices are used to exchange information from device to other. They transfer the
information through a most efficient path. Load balances and firewalls are also the part of

network architecture [2]. Firewall controls the overall traffic and assures that security is met.
Load balancer is used for making sure that all the servers perform same function. Load
balancers decide ere the packets need to be sent. These devices help in making sure that
information is secured and is transferred in an authenticated manner without causing nay
security breach.
Recent developments in healthcare networks
There are various developments in healthcare networks like the navigation is done through
pocket wallets. Customers are allowed to control all their operations through phone access.
They can fix their appointments through mobile gadgets along with payments could be den
using their pocket ecosystem [3]. The innovation has swept the entire health care industry by
making all the operations automatic. They also make use of artificial intelligence so that
monitoring could be done easily and by minimizing the staffing challenges. Artificial
intelligence makes sure that operations are completed in faster time with full rates [14]. It has
also offered staffing flexibility along with health care facilities.
The recent development in the health care is use of block chain facilities that helps in
controlling the data. Internet of medical things is the other development that helped
healthcare IT systems to communicate with each other [4]. Some of the new devices are
available that helps in tracking and sharing the data just by being connected through
Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. These developments helps in increasing the speed and offer remote
monitoring that increases accountability of patients by offering accurate results instead of
relying upon the manual reports. The automation also decreases human efforts and increases
adaptability by offering a complete built on a feedback loops that patient outcomes can be
improved.

The importance of security in healthcare networks
It is very important to maintain security of all the health care networks as it stores
confidential and private information of a patient which should not be leaked. If security
breach occurs patients may not feel secure in receiving the care they need. It is important to
maintain privacy of all the data in the health care network as it may allow access to
unauthorised user and also allow competitors to use the data [2]. For these reasons, it is
necessary for the health care professionals to use smart strategies to prevent data breaches
and keep patients information confidential. The health care information is very important as it
contains facts regarding someone life. Thus, it is necessary to control all the access and
allowing only valid user to access the information [10]. It is important to protect the system
as cybercrimes are increasing which has improved the risk of data of being stolen. It makes
use of secure sharing tool so that patients’ record could be managed and secured easily [13].
The healthcare industries need to protect the data so that success rates and efficiency
increases. The security reduces the chances of risks and increases liability of practising
consistently.
Possible potential security issues in Healthcare Networks
The threats are increasing in the health care department. Some of the current issues are:
Ransomware- It is a serious problem that is faced in health care network. It is a malware that
have caused serious issues in the operations and services. They use the sensitive information
through some other gateways. Accessing the information through unauthorised means causes
security breach [3]. They enter in the system and access eth files without any knowledge. It
updates the information without any notice that may create false information about the
patient. Ransom ware is one such attack that prevents the company to access the files of valid
users [11]. This is an issue as the authorised user is not able to access the information and

hackers use the encrypted information. They future deliver wrong instructions to third party
users by exchanging the information and future leak the confidential information about the
patient.
Legacy medical hardware and software- It is found that the hardware and software also
consists of bugs. The medical equipment’s are quiet expensive as they cannot be replaced. If
the hardware or software gets affected it infects the entire system [4]. This in turn breaches
the overall security. The cybercrimes are increasing thus it is important to install firewalls
and antiviruses software in the system so that overall security is maintained. These have
increased the risk of information leakage as it allows third part user to access the information
[12].
Phishing- The phishing attacks have increased in the recent times as it risks the overall
healthcare industries. In the report, it was found that email attachments are used to transfer
health care records to patients. Thus, these have increased due to phishing as it captures all
the personal information along with login credentials [4]. From the report, it was found that
national health information sharing and analysis centre have increased the risk of fraudulent
emails. Thus, these phishing attacks should be removed so that all the programs are protected
and authentication is maintained.
These issues are increasing as the demand of medical records. The risk is associated for
handling the medical information that is stored over internet. The cybercrimes have increased
as reports and all the medical information is shared through the online networks [5]. The risk
can be eliminated or reduced by taking backup of the data so that even in case of failure
information can be discovered back.

Possible solutions
These issues are increasing day by day, thus some of the possible solutions that are taken to
avoid these threats are using leverage trusted technology that helps patient to make effective
decisions about their health issue [6]. Healthcare cyber security creates actionable insights by
allowing only valid user to access the trusted data.
 The solution for ransomware is that information should be backed up so that it can be
recovered in case of loss. It is also suggested that macros should not be enabled and
all the attachment should be opened carefully. The best way to safeguard the system
from cybercrimes is to use a proper intrusion system as it secures all the open ports
[7]. The antiviruses protect the system and safe it from all the infections.
 The solution for legacy medical hardware and software is using a secure network,
secure identities and secure mobile environment. The hardware and network can be
secured by protecting the network through firewalls, antimalware programs, network
isolation or spam filters. These methods helps in controlling the identity by allowing
access to only valid user and making sure that information is remains confidential [8].
Intrusion prevention system is used for featuring signatures so that only valid users
have the rights to access the information [9]. It detects all the bugs that might have
penetrated in the system.
 The solution for phishing attack is making sure all the web applications are secured.
Web applications are used to exchange healthcare information so that information is
secured from all the web attacks [10]. Apart from that, attacks can be controlled by
designing an access control list that determines the valid user that access the
information and stops threats to hit the system and cause any security breach.
Phishing of data can be resolved by verifying the site security and checking all the
online statements regularly. High quality of firewalls also helps in stopping the

intruder to hit the system [8]. There is various antivirus software available that help in
dealing with the loopholes. Mostly, phishing attack occurs through emails and spams
thus it is assured that emails are done through authenticated site.
Conclusion
It can be concluded from this report that security is a key concern in every sector. In
health care networks there are various issues like security breaching which can cause loss of
confidentiality, integrity and availability. In this report the recent developments that took
place in healthcare networks are discussed and the importance of security in health care
networks is analysed. The threats that hit the heath care networks are also discussed.
Additionally, the potential security issues in the health care network are discussed. Some of
the common threat that is faced in health care network is ransomware, phishing and legacy
medical hardware and software. The solution for these attacks is backing up the data at
regular time interval, securing the network using firewalls and antimalware software.

References
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