Health data makes medical facilities a target for cybercriminals. According to Kutschera-Datentechnik, medical facilities face an average of more than 2,300 attempted attacks per week. The Austrian IT provider has developed the Black Dwarf G5 firewall for doctors’ practices in collaboration with Securepoint and integrates it with the ganyMED practice management software.
The ongoing digitalisation of medical facilities is placing greater demands on IT security. Alongside larger healthcare institutions, small and medium-sized medical practices are also becoming targets of cyberattacks. Patient data is particularly sensitive information, whilst vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi networks, routers or email systems represent potential points of attack.
Kutschera-Datentechnik estimates that the average number of attempted attacks on medical facilities now stands at more than 2,300 per week. Successful attacks can disrupt or completely halt practice operations. Added to this are potential ransom demands in the event of ransomware attacks, as well as data protection implications if personal health data is affected.
Firewall for medical IT infrastructures
Against this backdrop, Kutschera-Datentechnik has developed the Black Dwarf G5 in collaboration with the German IT security firm Securepoint. The firewall is aimed specifically at doctors’ practices and is available for both purchase and hire.
According to the company, Kutschera-Datentechnik has specialised in medical IT in Austria for 35 years. The Black Dwarf G5 is combined with ganyMED, a practice management software used in Austrian medical practices.
According to the company, the security concept includes local data storage, backups that are secured in multiple ways and regularly checked, encrypted connections and automatic security updates. The measures are designed to be largely integrated into day-to-day IT operations without requiring any additional work from practice staff.
For support cases, the company relies on contact persons in Austria.
Small and medium-sized practices as targets
Smaller medical facilities in particular face a special challenge when it comes to IT security. They process sensitive health data and are dependent on the availability of their digital systems, yet often do not have their own IT security departments.
“Many medical practices are very well equipped digitally, but extremely poorly secured – that’s an open invitation to criminals,” warns Julian Strausz, Managing Director of Kutschera-Datentechnik. Even a single fake email could bring a practice to a standstill for several days.
This means that, alongside protection against unauthorised access, the recoverability of systems is also coming to the fore. Backups, updating the systems in use, encrypted communication and securing the network infrastructure form the various layers of a security strategy.
For medical practices, cybersecurity is not just about protecting patient data. The availability of IT systems is directly linked to the running of the practice. A successful attack can therefore have consequences both in terms of data protection law and financially.
With the combination of Black Dwarf G5 and ganyMED, Kutschera-Datentechnik addresses these requirements specifically for Austrian medical practices. The solution combines a firewall, local data storage, backups, encryption and automatic updates with technical support.
