Healthcare Orgs, Take Control of Your Network! Level Up Cyber Hygiene with Diligent Vendor Vetting and Software Segmentation

Spacelabs Healthcare Banner Ad

 

The digital transformation of healthcare organizations has significantly increased reliance on software and medtech devices, weaving a complex web of interdependencies in their supply chains. This shift raises critical vulnerabilities as highlighted by infamous incidents like the SolarWinds breach, underscoring the urgency for enhanced cyber hygiene practices. With recent executive orders pushing for better security protocols, healthcare organizations are under pressure to fortify their supply chains against escalating cyber threats.

What strategies can healthcare organizations employ to effectively manage the cyber hygiene of their healthcare supply chain, including software and medtech devices?

Robin Berthier, CEO and founder of Network Perception, advocates for rigorous cyber hygiene practices within healthcare supply chains on a recent episode of Expert’s Talk. He emphasizes the necessity of standard vendor questionnaires and robust security protocols and underscores the importance of continuous vendor risk assessments and software segmentation to effectively mitigate potential cyber threats, drawing lessons from major breaches like SolarWinds.

Key takeaways:

  1. Develop Standard Questionnaires for Vendors: Establishing standard questionnaires for all vendors can help assess the risks introduced by third parties and ensure they adhere to secure coding best practices.
  2. Vet Vendor Security Practices: It’s crucial to scrutinize the security practices surrounding the build environments of vendors to prevent incidents similar to the SolarWinds breach, where malware was inserted directly into the source code.
  3. Implement Software Segmentation: By applying segmentation to software, organizations can contain potential breaches within manageable risk levels, thereby minimizing widespread impact.
  4. Regular Patching and Updates: Ensuring that all software and devices within the supply chain are regularly updated and patched can significantly reduce vulnerabilities.
  5. Continuous Risk Assessment: Continual evaluation of the risks posed by vendors and their products is essential to adapting and strengthening cybersecurity measures over time.

Article written by Sonia Gossai

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

How Branded Moving Trucks Help Storage Facilities Attract More Customers
August 1, 2025

You know that feeling when you see the same truck three times in a week? First at the grocery store, then outside your friend’s place, then stuck in traffic next to you. By the third sighting, that company name is burned into your brain. Smart storage facility owners figured this out years ago. They’re…

Read More
Winter is Coming: 9 Battle-Tested Strategies to Shield Your Commercial Property from Skyrocketing Insurance Costs
August 1, 2025

The numbers are brutal. Insurance deductibles that used to be a manageable $2,000 flat fee have morphed into percentage-based nightmares tied to property values. What was once a minor business expense can now hit six figures with a single burst pipe or ice dam incident. Meanwhile, insurance premiums have surged 20.4% on average, leaving property…

Read More
From Zero to 460% Engagement: 6 UGC Campaigns That Broke All the Rules
August 1, 2025

Picture this: You spend months crafting the perfect marketing campaign. Professional photographers, expensive equipment, polished copy. You launch it and… crickets. Meanwhile, your competitor posts a simple challenge asking customers to share their stories, and suddenly they’re swimming in engagement, leads, and brand loyalty. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The biggest mistake brands make with…

Read More
Purpose Factory Event 2025
Lights, Camera, Action
August 1, 2025

The Purpose Factory Event 2025 emerges at a moment when organizations are being challenged to redefine what success really means. Beyond profits and projections, the gathering champions a model of growth that intertwines cultural impact with strategic vision. It’s a forum where companies explore how values can be engineered into operations, not just marketed in…

Read More