Did you know?

• Nearly 60% of healthcare organizations have introduced Internet of Things (IoT) devices into their facilities.

• 87% of healthcare organizations plan to implement IoT technology by 2019.

• Almost 20% of organizations have been hit by at least one IoT-based attack in the past three years.

IoT continues to impact all industries, healthcare included. Remote monitoring systems, smart sensors, medical device integration, and connected technologies are commonplace in healthcare. On the positive side, IoT can improve the quality of patient care, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce healthcare costs. But there’s a risk: IoT also creates the need to upgrade cybersecurity and strengthen patient data privacy practices.

Protecting Healthcare Devices from Attacks: Extreme Defender for IoT

This demonstration presented by Extreme’s Senior Product Manager Scott Fincher shows how to prevent hackers from gaining access to patient medical devices. Scott describes how medical devices often become vulnerable, and how to protect patients and prevent unauthorized access using Extreme Defender for IoT.

Defender for IoT Fast Facts

The Defender for IoT Adapter delivers enterprise-grade performance and personalized protection for vulnerable wired devices. Placed between the network and the device, the Defender Adapter works in conjunction with the Defender Application (a value-add application on the ExtremeCloud Appliance) to secure, isolate, track and monitor IoT devices.

Defender for IoT secures medical and other connected devices by:

• Applying profiles directly at the IoT device, ensuring that the device operates according to expected behavior
• Controlling IoT device attachment and access to the network
• Isolating groups of IoT devices into secure zones or clinical segments

At Ascension, we pride ourselves on our modern approach to healthcare and are always looking for ways to improve patient outcomes and experience. But the latest greatest, connected medical technology is a risk to us if we can't ensure its security. Working closely with Extreme, we developed Defender for IoT to protect our patients and staff from the devastating consequences of an IoT breach, which in some cases can even be life-threatening. This gives our entire organization peace of mind when it comes to our connected healthcare initiatives.

Mike Oligschlaeger Vice President of Business Management, Ascension

The continued proliferation of malware and other cyber threats requires a change in how organizations approach security. It is no longer sufficient to have a security strategy that relies solely on reactively blocking known bad behavior as the best reactive security can do is provide protection today against yesterday's threats. Instead, organizations need to establish a strategy that focuses on allowing only known good behavior. Taking a zero-trust approach to network security is a critical part of such a strategy and zero trust strategies need to encompass IoT devices as well.

Christopher Frenz Assistant Vice President of Information Security and Infrastructure, Interfaith Medical Center

Learn more about Defender for IoT with these resources:

• Visit the Defender for IoT solution page
• Download the Defender for IoT solution brief
• Download Defender for IoT: Securing Medical and other Connected Devices with Ease
• Read the press release