Healthcare Under Siege: How CDNs Are Neutralizing Online Threats

Executive Summary

The healthcare sector is undergoing a rapid digital transformation, with online services, telehealth, and electronic health records (EHRs) becoming integral to patient care. However, this digitization has also increased the industry’s exposure to cyber threats, as healthcare data is highly valuable to cybercriminals. Sensitive patient information, such as protected health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII), is particularly vulnerable and commands a premium on the black market, making healthcare systems attractive targets for attacks like ransomware, phishing schemes, and data breaches.

Many healthcare organizations face significant challenges in upgrading their IT infrastructures. Outdated systems, budget limitations, and a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals have left an industry often struggling to keep up with modern defenses. This has contributed to high costs associated with breaches; healthcare remains the most expensive industry for cyber incidents, with the average breach costing millions of dollars in recovery, operational disruptions, and reputational damage.

Healthcare remains a target for attackers since the industry often suffers from existing technologies and is highly vulnerable to disruption, which can put patient safety at stake. Source: Cost of Data Breach Report, 2024, IBM

To combat these security vulnerabilities, healthcare providers are increasingly looking to advanced solutions such as Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and edge computing. CDNs help to mitigate risks from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and secure traffic by distributing it across multiple servers. Edge computing enables data to be processed closer to its source, reducing latency and enhancing security by minimizing data exposure during transmission. Both technologies are instrumental in reducing the attack surface and securing sensitive data, which is critical in an industry where patient trust is paramount.

The future of healthcare security will likely involve a more proactive, multi-layered approach that combines innovative technology, such as AI, and machine learning (ML), with robust internal protocols and regulatory compliance. As cyber threats continue to evolve, healthcare organizations must balance adopting digital tools with a comprehensive security strategy to protect patient information and maintain trust in an increasingly digital healthcare landscape.

Introduction

The healthcare industry is in the midst of a sweeping digital transformation, with innovations such as telehealth, electronic health records (EHRs), and an expanding array of online services reshaping how care is delivered and managed. This shift, accelerated by technological advances and growing patient demand for convenient healthcare solutions, is making it easier for individuals to access medical care, monitor their health, and engage with providers. Telehealth services, in particular, have seen significant growth in the last few years, allowing patients to consult with doctors from the comfort of their homes, reducing travel time, and improving access to care for those in rural or underserved areas. In parallel, EHRs enable the efficient exchange of patient information, streamlining workflows and improving the accuracy of diagnoses and treatment plans.

As the next-generation platforms increasingly become integral to healthcare delivery, they offer new levels of convenience and personalization, fostering greater engagement between patients and providers. This digital shift also supports the healthcare industry’s growing emphasis on preventative care and chronic disease management, providing tools for better long-term health outcomes.

However, with the benefits come significant security challenges. The healthcare industry has become a prime target for cybercriminals due to the high value of medical data. Unlike financial data, which can be easily changed or canceled, medical records contain detailed, immutable information about individuals, including personal identifiers, health histories, and insurance information. This makes stolen medical data especially valuable on the black market, which can be used for identity theft, blackmail, and insurance fraud. The growing number of connected devices and the increasing shift to electronic records have expanded the attack surface, giving criminals more entry points to exploit. Ransomware attacks, data breaches, and phishing schemes are now commonplace in healthcare, often leading to devastating consequences for providers and patients.

Online attacks on healthcare systems are not only financially damaging but can also disrupt critical care services, potentially endangering patient safety. Hospitals and healthcare providers, often stretched thin by tight budgets and resource constraints, are frequently ill-prepared to fend off sophisticated attacks. These breaches can result in delayed treatments, compromised patient care, and significant downtime for essential systems. In addition to the immediate impact on operations, healthcare organizations face legal repercussions, the financial burden of recovering from a cyberattack, and even long-term reputational damage. For patients, the exposure of sensitive medical data can have lasting consequences, ranging from identity theft to discrimination based on health conditions.

Regulatory compliance adds another layer of complexity to healthcare's cybersecurity landscape. In the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets strict standards for protecting patient data, requiring healthcare providers to implement safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of health information. Similarly, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) imposes stringent data protection rules on any organization handling personal data, including healthcare entities. Compliance with these regulations is not optional—failure to meet these standards can result in hefty fines, legal action, and loss of trust from patients. However, adhering to regulatory requirements is just the baseline; healthcare organizations must go beyond compliance to proactively defend against ever-evolving cyber threats.

The unique security challenges for the Healthcare industry

As mentioned above, Healthcare faces a unique set of online security challenges due to the highly sensitive nature of the data it manages and the increasingly complex, interconnected digital landscape it operates within. Protecting sensitive data, particularly Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII), is a top priority. PHI includes details such as medical histories, diagnoses, prescriptions, and insurance information, all of which can be used for identity theft, fraud, or even extortion if compromised. Healthcare data is highly valuable on the black market, making hospitals and healthcare providers prime targets for cyberattacks, such as ransomware and data breaches.

The balance between embracing technological innovation and ensuring robust security measures is more crucial than ever. To protect sensitive medical data and maintain the trust of patients, healthcare organizations must adopt comprehensive cybersecurity strategies. This includes encrypting patient data, employing multi-factor authentication, continuously monitoring for threats, and educating staff on security best practices. The stakes are high, and healthcare providers must be vigilant in safeguarding both their digital infrastructure and their patients' most sensitive information in this new era of digital health.

Infrastructures ripe for upgrade

The current state of IT infrastructure in healthcare is at a critical junction, balancing between rapid digitalization and persistent vulnerabilities. As hospitals and healthcare providers increasingly rely on interconnected systems for health records, telemedicine, and connected medical devices, the demand for robust, resilient IT infrastructure has surged. However, much of the industry is hampered by legacy systems not designed with cybersecurity as a priority. Many healthcare organizations continue to run outdated operating systems and software, which lack crucial security updates. This situation is compounded by the reliance on third-party vendors and interconnected devices, which broaden the attack surface and increase the chances of unauthorized access.

 Cyber-attacks such as ransomware have proven particularly disruptive in this industry due to the potential impact on patient care, often forcing organizations to pay hefty sums to restore access to critical systems quickly. Given these factors, healthcare providers are under constant threat, struggling to keep pace with modern cyber defenses while managing the day-to-day demands of patient care. The slow adoption of advanced cybersecurity measures, budget constraints, and a shortage of skilled IT professionals further exacerbate these vulnerabilities, leaving healthcare IT infrastructure ripe for attack.

How CDNs enhance online security

CDNs play a vital role in enhancing the security of healthcare systems by offering robust traffic management and protection against DDoS attacks. In healthcare, where uninterrupted access to online services such as telehealth platforms and patient portals is crucial, a DDoS attack can lead to severe disruptions in patient care and administrative operations. CDNs mitigate this risk by distributing incoming traffic across a network of geographically dispersed servers, preventing any single server from being overwhelmed by malicious traffic. By absorbing the impact of large-scale attacks, CDNs ensure that critical healthcare systems remain operational and available to patients and providers even during high-traffic events or attacks.

 In addition to traffic management, CDNs enhance security by improving edge security. Healthcare organizations often have numerous access points, including mobile apps, remote devices, and telehealth platforms, creating a wide attack surface. With a CDN in place, traffic is routed through servers closer to the end user, minimizing latency and reducing the risk of data interception or tampering at vulnerable access points. By distributing security functions across these edge locations, CDNs limit exposure to cyber threats and reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access to sensitive patient data, which is particularly important in a sector where privacy and compliance are paramount.

Encryption is another critical security feature that CDNs offer, ensuring that communication between healthcare providers, patients, and systems remains secure. Given the sensitivity of Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII), it is essential that this data is encrypted both in transit and at rest to prevent unauthorized access. Many CDNs provide built-in encryption mechanisms, ensuring all traffic is encrypted using protocols such as Transport Layer Security (TLS). This not only protects patient data from being intercepted by attackers but also ensures compliance with stringent healthcare regulations like HIPAA and GDPR, which mandate robust data protection measures.

CDNs also help healthcare organizations secure their web applications through the use of Web Application Firewalls (WAF). WAFs are designed to monitor, filter, and block malicious traffic attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in healthcare applications. Attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common exploits can target healthcare platforms, potentially compromising patient records or disrupting service. By placing a WAF at the network's edge, CDNs block these threats before they reach the healthcare provider's internal systems. This adds an additional layer of security to web applications, ensuring that both patient data and the systems that handle it remain secure from emerging threats.

 Many CDNs have evolved beyond just delivering content quickly and reliably, now hosting full-fledged online security solutions on the same machines. By positioning security defenses closer to the end users at the edge of the network, CDNs can intercept malicious traffic before it impacts core systems, providing both speed and security in a seamless manner. Case-in-point: Recently, Fastly launched a comprehensive DDoS solution that bolsters this approach. Our DDoS protection leverages edge-based filtering to detect and block attack traffic in real-time, minimizing latency and allowing legitimate traffic to pass through without disruption. This strategy not only enhances protection but also preserves the user experience, making it an attractive option for businesses looking for robust, low-latency security solutions directly integrated with their content delivery.

Ultimately, CDNs offer healthcare organizations a multifaceted approach to improving their security posture. From managing and securing traffic to encrypting sensitive data and blocking cyber threats at the network edge, CDNs provide critical protections for healthcare systems operating in an increasingly digital world. These security enhancements are particularly valuable in an industry where data privacy, regulatory compliance, and uninterrupted service delivery are paramount concerns. By leveraging CDN capabilities, healthcare organizations can maintain patients' trust, protect their critical infrastructure, and ensure the continuous delivery of essential healthcare services.

Where the Network Edge can help

Edge computing offers transformative potential for online security in the healthcare industry by enabling data processing closer to the source, such as at connected devices or local servers, rather than relying solely on centralized data centers. This localized approach allows healthcare providers to respond faster to security threats and reduces the risk of breaches during data transit, as data is handled at the edge rather than traveling across potentially vulnerable networks. For example, data from medical devices or patient monitoring systems can be processed and encrypted immediately, reducing latency and securing sensitive information at the source. By distributing data processing, edge computing minimizes points of entry for cyber attackers, creating a layered security approach that safeguards patient data.

Authentication at the edge further enhances security by verifying user identities closer to the data source, making it harder for unauthorized access attempts to penetrate the network. Healthcare providers can implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) at edge nodes, ensuring only authorized personnel access medical systems or sensitive patient information. This approach can help prevent unauthorized access in real-time, especially for devices with direct patient data access, such as portable diagnostic equipment. By decentralizing authentication processes, edge computing adds an additional layer of security that limits data movement across networks, thus mitigating risks associated with centralized storage and transmitting sensitive healthcare information.

Best practices

Best practices for online security in the healthcare industry involve implementing a multi-layered approach that combines external security solutions such as CDNs and online security providers with robust internal security measures. This strategy helps create multiple defenses to protect against the variety of threats healthcare organizations face, including data breaches, ransomware, and DDoS attacks. CDNs, for example, can offload and distribute traffic across multiple servers, helping mitigate DDoS attacks while enhancing edge security by reducing vulnerabilities at distributed access points. Online security providers can further enhance this protection by offering real-time threat detection and automated response capabilities, safeguarding systems from malicious activity. Internally, healthcare organizations must also implement strong firewalls, encryption protocols, and intrusion detection systems to ensure that sensitive patient data is protected at every level.

Staff training and regular compliance audits are equally critical components of a comprehensive online security strategy. Employees are often the first line of defense but can also be a significant source of vulnerability if not properly trained. Healthcare organizations must educate staff on recognizing phishing attempts, handling sensitive data securely, and following cybersecurity best practices, such as using multi-factor authentication and strong passwords. Regular security drills can prepare staff to respond swiftly in case of a breach or cyberattack, minimizing potential damage. In addition to training, frequent compliance audits ensure that healthcare providers meet stringent regulatory standards, such as HIPAA and GDPR, which mandate robust security measures to protect patient information. These audits not only help identify potential weaknesses in an organization’s cybersecurity posture but also ensure that the organization is up to date with the latest regulatory requirements.

Addressing insider threats is another essential aspect of maintaining strong online security. While external attacks receive much attention, insider threats—whether intentional or accidental—can be equally damaging. Proper access controls, such as role-based access and the principle of least privilege, limit the amount of sensitive data any one employee can access. This minimizes the risk of data leakage, whether through malicious intent or inadvertent mishandling of information. In addition, continuous monitoring of user activity within healthcare systems can help detect any unusual behavior early, allowing for rapid intervention before a potential breach occurs.

By integrating multi-layered security solutions, regularly training staff, conducting compliance audits, and addressing insider threats, healthcare organizations can significantly reduce their risk of cyberattacks. In a sector where the consequences of data breaches and system outages can be severe, these best practices are essential to ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of critical healthcare services and sensitive patient information.

Looking ahead

The future of online security in healthcare will likely see advancements in both technology and policy as the industry responds to evolving cyber threats. As healthcare continues to digitize, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will play increasingly pivotal roles in cybersecurity. AI-driven security systems can analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, identifying unusual patterns and detecting threats faster than human analysts. Machine learning models trained on known cyberattack patterns can also adapt to new threats, enabling a proactive approach to defense. This automation will be essential in helping healthcare providers quickly respond to attacks and minimize the impact on patient care.

Regulatory frameworks are likely to evolve in response to growing cybersecurity needs, with stricter requirements for data protection, real-time monitoring, and secure data exchange. In tandem with new regulations, healthcare organizations must focus on continual staff training and awareness programs, recognizing that human error often remains a significant vulnerability. Ultimately, the future of healthcare security will hinge on a multi-layered strategy that combines emerging technologies with robust internal processes to safeguard patient data and trust in an increasingly interconnected digital healthcare ecosystem.

Conclusion

Adopting edge computing in healthcare, supported by advanced security solutions like DDoS protection, represents a pivotal step toward safeguarding sensitive data in an increasingly digital environment. By processing and securing information at the edge, organizations can maintain high levels of data integrity and privacy while mitigating cybersecurity risks. This approach not only aligns with the stringent requirements of healthcare data protection but also ensures a smoother, safer experience for both providers and patients, marking a significant advancement in digital health security.