In this age of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks and data breaches, it’s never wise to assume that a healthcare cyber system is secure “enough.” If you’re a security provider who works with hospitals and healthcare facilities to preserve sensitive information and cyber infrastructures, the CIS 18 is a framework that belongs in your cybersecurity arsenal. We cover the basics of CIS 18 controls and discuss why the businesses you work with can’t afford to operate without them.
What Are the CIS 18 Critical Security Controls?
The CIS 18 was formerly the Center for Internet Security’s Critical Security Controls. You may recall this set of controls by its former name, the SANS Critical Security Controls or SANS Top 20. This framework includes the 18 controls that represent best practices for protecting healthcare cyber systems from threats and data breaches.
The CIS 18 benefits managed security providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) that hospitals and healthcare organizations enlist independently to protect the fidelity of their digital and online systems. An organization’s chief information security officer (CISO) should also be familiar with the CIS 18 framework to understand its relevance to their facility’s security needs.
What’s Included in the CIS 18 Controls?
These CIS 18 critical security controls help security service providers prioritize the actions needed to boost their defenses. This includes knowing where and how to allocate their resources to achieve the highest security levels and minimize business risks. The 18 controls are as follows:
- Inventory and control of enterprise assets
- Inventory and control of software assets
- Data protection
- Secure configuration of enterprise assets and software
- Account management
- Access control management
- Continuous vulnerability management
- Audit log management
- Email and web browser protections
- Malware defenses
- Data recovery
- Network infrastructure management
- Network monitoring and defense
- Security awareness and skills training
- Service provider management
- Application software security
- Incident response management
- Penetration testing
Making a Case for CIS 18 Implementation
Even when hospitals and healthcare organizations comply with the standard HIPAA, OSHA, and SOC 2 regulations, they can still be vulnerable to cyber threats. To this end, security companies using the CIS 18 framework when serving hospitals and healthcare organizations can ensure that their cyber infrastructures meet the most stringent data privacy and security requirements. The results of a CIS 18 assessment also enable MSPs and MSSPs to recommend corrective remedies and offer guidance to healthcare organizations in creating comprehensive cybersecurity action plans, thus bolstering their financial security.
Incorporating CIS 18 assessments into your services is one of the most compelling ways to show that you take healthcare cybersecurity seriously. With CIS 18 certification, an MSP or MSSP can better protect a healthcare client against the most common cyberattacks and data breaches.
