The Role of Application Updating in Ensuring Secure Storage of Patient Information within Healthcare Institutions
In the realm of digital transformation, the importance of security cannot be overstated, especially in the healthcare sector. Greg Peters, Chief Architect for Strategic Application Modernization Assessment at CDW, underscores this significance, emphasizing the need to consider security aspects when modernizing applications.
One approach gaining traction is the DevSecOps methodology. This refined version of DevOps automates the security testing of applications during modernization. By integrating security checks throughout the development lifecycle, DevSecOps helps healthcare organizations respond more effectively to staff and patient demands, while also improving the speed, quality, and security of app development.
DevSecOps offers several key benefits in healthcare application modernization. Early and continuous security integration ensures that vulnerabilities are detected and remediated much earlier in the process, reducing risk and remediation costs. Automated security scanning guarantees consistent security posture assessment, while policy-as-code enforcement maintains continuous compliance and governance.
Continuous monitoring and real-time feedback allow for rapid detection and mitigation of live vulnerabilities, which is crucial for applications handling sensitive patient data. The shared responsibility model promotes a culture where security is a shared responsibility among all team members, fostering a culture of security awareness.
Addressing supply chain and dependency risks is another critical aspect of DevSecOps. Healthcare apps often rely on third-party libraries and dependencies, and DevSecOps integrates automated scanning and attestation for third-party components, reducing the risk of supply chain attacks and ensuring the accuracy of Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).
Digital transformation initiatives in healthcare organizations involve updating their applications, and application modernization provides several benefits towards achieving security objectives. According to a 2022 report, 54% of companies started their app modernization initiatives to improve security.
The security benefits of application modernization can also improve the performance and reliability of applications. Zero-trust security approach, which can be integrated into application modernization projects, requires continuous validation of users' security configuration and posture. This approach can help prevent unauthorized access to applications and data.
Moreover, application modernization can enable the use of updated security solutions like multifactor and passwordless authentication. As healthcare organizations modernize their legacy applications, they can ensure data and workloads remain secure from cyber threats during digital transformation.
In conclusion, by adopting DevSecOps practices, healthcare organizations modernizing applications can achieve faster, safer deployments, maintain compliance, and build trust—crucial for protecting sensitive patient data and meeting rigorous regulatory requirements.
- The DevSecOps methodology, utilized in healthcare application modernization, integrates security checks throughout the development lifecycle, ensuring early and continuous security integration that helps reduce risk and remediation costs, and maintains a consistent security posture assessment.
- DevSecOps also addresses supply chain and dependency risks, integrating automated scanning and attestation for third-party components, reducing the risk of supply chain attacks and ensuring the accuracy of Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).
- As healthcare organizations modernize their legacy applications using DevSecOps, they can ensure the implementation of updated security solutions like multifactor and passwordless authentication, thus protecting sensitive patient data from cyber threats during digital transformation.
