Zero Trust: Charting a path to stronger security

Healthcare IT leaders face a critical contradiction: They are expected to enable seamless access to patient data and systems for a mobile workforce, while also protecting that information from an evolving threat landscape. The traditional security model, built on a defined network perimeter, is no longer sufficient to secure a world of remote clinicians, connected medical devices, and cloud-based applications. Enter the zero-trust approach.

This whitepaper from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Zero Trust: Charting a Path to Stronger Security, explores how this model can help healthcare organizations secure their most critical assets—patient data and clinical systems. It cuts through the zero-trust hype with best practices for designing a successful strategy that supports secure access to resources while maintaining compliance and operational efficiency.

Key takeaways on the journey to zero trust

• Understanding the fundamentals – Zero trust is a security model that focuses on providing controls around digital assets that don’t depend on traditional network perimeters.
• Essential foundations – Discover the six foundational security capabilities required for a successful zero trust implementation, including identity and access management and unified endpoint management.
• Actionable use cases – Get practical advice on how to start with the most common zero trust use cases, such as human-to-application (secure access for clinicians on the go) and internet of things (IoT) and operational technology (securing connected medical devices and other hospital systems).

• Measuring your progress – Find out how to quantify the positive impact of zero trust by measuring metrics like the number of security events prevented and the mean time to detect (MTTD) security events.
• A pragmatic approach – Learn how to avoid common fallacies that can hinder progress and instead focus on iterative improvements that allow for value recognition and continuous progress.

The zero-trust journey is an iterative process and it’s different for every organization. By establishing the right foundations and avoiding common pitfalls, you can move beyond traditional security approaches and make continuous progress toward achieving strong levels of security for systems and data.

Download this whitepaper today to learn how to rethink your security posture and build a more resilient and compliant IT environment for your healthcare organization.