This blog talks about the latest report titled, “State of Identity Security 2023: Spotlight on Healthcare”. The report investigates the current state of identity security in the healthcare sector and provides insights into the potential future of identity security in healthcare. This information can assist industry professionals in shaping their identity strategies for the years ahead, particularly in 2023 and beyond.
Identity remains a top priority, yet threats exist
Although identity remains a top priority, the threat landscape continues to pose challenges. According to the report, one of the most positive outcomes is the widespread acknowledgment within the healthcare sector of the significance of identity security. Nearly all (95%) of the surveyed individuals consider identity security as a relatively important, critical, or primary investment priority for their organization.
Notably, 29% of the respondents indicated that it is their organization’s topmost investment priority, indicating the increasing importance placed on identity security with the rise of cloud adoption, digital transformation, and industry consolidation.
The report highlights an even more promising discovery that healthcare organizations are taking action on the need for identity security. A significant majority (93%) of the respondents reported that their organization has implemented an identity and access management (IAM) program, either partially or fully. However, the survey revealed that only 29% of the organizations have had their program in place for over two years, indicating that most are still in the nascent stages of developing their identity maturity.
The significance of identity security is underscored by the fact that 93% of the respondents reported an identity-related breach in their organization over the last two years. The consequences of these breaches include operational downtime (43%), compromised accounts and/or credentials (41%), revenue loss (36%), stolen company data (31%), and reputational damage (26%). All of these outcomes pose a significant challenge for healthcare organizations, as downtime and revenue loss not only affect the organization’s financial stability but also its ability to provide quality patient care.
Looking into the Future of Healthcare Identity
The State of Identity report provides a comprehensive overview of the healthcare industry’s stance on identity security. The report highlights that almost all healthcare organizations recognize the critical importance of robust identity security, and a majority have initiated full IAM solutions.
However, many of these implementations are still in progress, which leaves the organizations vulnerable to potential attacks. While some organizations are experiencing the benefits of identity security, many are still struggling to succeed with their identity security programs due to various reasons.
The healthcare sector’s comprehension of and engagement with identity security is still in the process of maturing, and healthcare organizations can benefit from additional support and guidance to address the unique challenges they face.
