Logo of Acalvio, a leading company in cyber deception technology
SCHEDULE A DEMO

The healthcare industry is no stranger to the escalating variety of cyber threats. From significant financial losses and organizational reputational damage to the dire implications for individuals whose data is compromised, cyberattacks represent a complex blend of challenges. Acknowledging this harsh reality, healthcare leaders are stepping up their cybersecurity investments and shaping their strategies to counter both internal and external threat landscapes.

Healthcare Hospital busyfloor
The Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP) Technical Volume 2, released by the Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council, posits cyber deception as an essential part of a comprehensive security posture, guiding how Healthcare Delivery Organizations (HDOs) can implement cyber deception techniques like honeypots, honeytokens, and other decoys to strengthen their defense strategy

Several government standards organizations require or recommend active defense and deception, including

  • The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act
  • NIST SP 800-172,
  • The CISA 2022 – 2026 Strategic Technology Roadmap

Use cases for deception-based Active Defense in healthcare

The HHS identifies the top threats targeting healthcare. Acalvio’s ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense and Identity Protection solutions offer a proven approach to protect healthcare organizations from cyberattacks. With no agent requirements, ShadowPlex guarantees easy deployment across healthcare enterprises. Pre-integrated with platforms like EDR, SIEM, and SOAR, ShadowPlex ensures interoperability with the enterprise ecosystem and provides healthcare-specific deception templates and strategies, ensuring immediate value

Health industry cybersecurity

Acalvio Healthcare Protection Solutions

By overlaying the organization’s computing environment with decoys that lure attackers away from real data, cyber deception not only confuses the attacker but also alerts security teams about every move they make.

Medical device

Medical device attacks

Decoys representing medical devices detect threats and prevent attack propagation while protecting the real devices.

Ransomware
Ransomware
Without relying on signatures or agents, a blend of deceptions – decoys, breadcrumbs and baits detect and derail attacks.
Identity Darker
Identity-driven attacks and data exfiltration
Identity honeytokens detect identity-driven attacks with precision and strengthen their Zero Trust Architecture.
Insider Threats
Insider threats
Deception-based Active Defense provides critical capabilities to deter, detect, and disrupt malicious activity.
Regardless of size or specialty, Healthcare Delivery Organizations (HDOs) are a prime target for cybercriminals due to their rich trove of sensitive data. Acalvio provides active defense solutions that form the backbone of cyber deception, equipping HDOs with powerful tools to disrupt attacks, provide early warning of intrusions, and minimize the impact of successful attacks.
Chat Keyword

Acalvio Advanced Threat
Defense and Identity Protection
for Healthcare Organizations

Healthcare security is marked by an escalation
of cyber threats, which contain a diverse range
of challenges. These include financial impacts
from cyberattacks, organizational and
reputational damage, and personal bearings on
individuals whose data is compromised. The
economic toll of healthcare cyberattacks can be
significant, with breaches costing organizations
millions, alongside the potential for litigation
from affected parties. Healthcare leaders are
increasing their cybersecurity investments to
counter these threats, focusing on internal and
external threat environments.

READ SOLUTION BRIEF

Additional Resources

Cyber Security Awareness

HHS Recommends Deception Technology

HHS recommends including Deception Technology as a critical component of cybersecurity practices for healthcare organizations.

READ BLOG
ShadowPlex Identity Protection

Acalvio ShadowPlex Identity Protection Solution Brief

This solution brief provides an overview of the deception-based identity threat detection and response (ITDR) and identity attack surface management capabilities in ShadowPlex Identity Protection to protect identities and accelerate Zero Trust.

Read Solution Brief
Healthcare Customer Reference

Customer Case Study

Learn how a Healthcare Provider protects identities across the organization with honeytokens. The case study highlights the benefits of the Acalvio solution for protecting identities across the organization and the ease of deployment of the solution.

Read Case Study

FAQs

What are the top cybersecurity threats in healthcare?

The top cybersecurity threats in healthcare include ransomware attacks, data breaches, and phishing, which compromise critical patient data and disrupt care. Insider threats, vulnerabilities in connected medical devices, and third-party risks further expose healthcare systems to exploitation. To protect sensitive data and ensure operational continuity, healthcare organizations must implement robust cybersecurity strategies.

How does cyber deception strengthen healthcare cybersecurity?

Cyber deception strengthens healthcare cybersecurity by enabling early threat detection through honeypots and decoy systems, which lure attackers and reduce their dwell time in networks. It enhances threat intelligence by analyzing attacker behavior, improving threat hunting, and providing insights into tactics and vulnerabilities. Deception improves the security posture by adding a layered defense, diverting attackers to decoys, and reducing the attack surface. With faster incident response and cost-effective security measures, it minimizes breaches’ impact, protects patient data, and builds resilience against cyber threats.

What makes Acalvio ShadowPlex ideal for healthcare organizations?

Acalvio ShadowPlex is ideal for healthcare organizations due to its visibility, providing unique insights into how attackers view endpoints, reach critical assets, and exploit misconfigurations to reduce the attack surface. It delivers advanced threat detection through realistic deceptions like decoys and breadcrumbs, generating high-fidelity alerts and forensic data when engaged. ShadowPlex enhances investigation capabilities with AI-driven threat hunting and proactive identification of dormant threats, offering a novel approach to understanding adversary behavior. With automated response and seamless integration with existing security tools, it enables real-time threat containment, isolation, and asset protection to safeguard sensitive healthcare systems.

What regulations support the use of deception in healthcare cybersecurity?

While no regulations explicitly endorse cyber deception, key frameworks indirectly support its use by emphasizing robust security for sensitive patient data. HIPAA requires safeguards to protect PHI, where deception can serve as a technical measure to enhance security. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework aligns deception techniques with its core functions like Detect, Respond, and Recover, while the HITECH Act supports protecting electronic health records (EHRs). Additionally, GDPR emphasizes strong data protection, where deception can help safeguard sensitive personal data from cyber threats.

How can Acalvio’s solutions prevent ransomware attacks in healthcare?

Acalvio’s deception technology plays a crucial role in defending against ransomware by detecting it at any stage of the kill chain. Acalvio uses purpose-built deceptions, such as ransomware detection baits, to identify encryption activities and detect known, zero-day, and unknown ransomware. Upon infiltration, the solution generates a high-fidelity incident with detailed evidence of the attack, enabling immediate response. Automated notifications and response actions, integrated with existing SOC workflows, help streamline the defense process.

Why is cybersecurity in healthcare a critical investment?

Cybersecurity in healthcare is a critical investment due to the sensitive nature of patient data. Healthcare organizations handle a wealth of personal information, including medical records, financial details, and social security numbers. Cyberattacks on healthcare systems can lead to data breaches, identity theft, and significant financial losses. By investing in robust cybersecurity measures, healthcare organizations can protect patient privacy, maintain operational continuity, and avoid costly legal repercussions.

Next Steps

Explore our patented technologies to enable Active Defense and Identity Security in your enterprise.

SCHEDULE A DEMO
Loading...