Northeast health system chooses CynergisTek to assess the organization’s medical device security program and help build out specific policies and procedures unique to securing medical devices

CynergisTek (NYSE American: CTEK), a leading cybersecurity, privacy, compliance, and IT audit firm helping organizations in highly regulated industries navigate emerging security and privacy issues, announces a six-figure expansion contract with a large multi-site health system to conduct medical device security assessment and program development services.

Network-connected medical devices are one of the biggest cybersecurity challenges for healthcare organizations since they can often be a potential unwelcome backdoor into their environment and a risk to patient safety and privacy. On average there are 10-15 connected medical devices per bed, multiply that by the number of beds in the U.S. and the threat of these devices materializes quickly. “The problem is that with the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT), the speed at which new medical devices are introduced into a Healthcare Delivery Organization’s (HDO) network has increased. Both new and legacy devices being used today have introduced vulnerabilities due to outdated or insecure software, poor configurations, location, etc.,” said Mac McMillan, CEO and President at CynergisTek.

CynergisTek’s medical device security team will work with the health system to evaluate the effectiveness of their program for providing ongoing risk management of connected devices and will develop policies and procedures that are unique to medical devices beginning with pre-procurement security reviews, identifying, and prioritizing risk, and updating vulnerabilities with the manufacturer. “Cybersecurity is complex and constantly evolving – there are so many moving parts. With the increase in IoT and the number of ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations, many are bringing in the expertise to help review and improve upon medical device security programs to ensure that they are doing their best to protect patient safety and privacy,” said Dave Bailey, VP of Security Services at CynergisTek.

“Working with our client is a sign of another great partnership, and I would like to give credit to their team and the hospital’s leadership for investing in and making security a priority for their organization – many have not performed this important analysis, but the tide is shifting as more HDOs are understanding the importance of addressing this risk,” said Mac McMillan. He goes onto say, “Working with CynergisTek’s team that combines both cybersecurity and clinical engineering experts helps organizations identify and address network-connected medical device security in a holistic fashion. Compromise of these devices can lead to patient harm or become the jumping off point for disrupting hospital operations and patient care and lead to the losses in revenue in the millions.”

About CynergisTek, Inc.

CynergisTek (www.cynergistek.com), is a top-ranked cybersecurity consulting firm helping organizations in highly-regulated industries, including those in healthcare, government, and finance navigate emerging security and privacy issues. CynergisTek combines intelligence, expertise, and a distinct methodology to validate a company's security posture and ensure the team is rehearsed, prepared, and resilient against threats. Since 2004, CynergisTek has been dedicated to hiring and retaining experts who bring real-life experience and hold advanced certifications to support and educate the industry by contributing to relevant industry associations. For more information, visit www.cynergistek.com or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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