Healthcare zero trust implementation gains traction

Fifty-eight percent of healthcare organizations have adopted zero trust initiatives this year, compared with only 37% last year, HealthITSecurity reports. Moreover, the rate of healthcare organizations with zero trust or plans to implement it within the next 12 to 18 months has risen from 91% last year to 96% this year, according to an Okta report. Such an increase in zero trust interest in the healthcare sector may be prompted by the rising prevalence of cyberattacks against the industry, as well as the elevated presence and value of protected health information on the dark web, said Okta Regional Chief Security Officer of the Americas Chris Niggel. "The rapid need to provide online healthcare resources has also created a new attack surface that already-strained IT departments need to protect, with data breaches in healthcare often stemming from attacks such as compromised credentials and phishing on internet-accessible applications. This is where zero trust and identity become especially critical in protecting against these attack methods," Niggel said.