Cyber team and 'anti-hole' systems, local health authorities alerted on cybersecurity

Cyber ​​teams, i.e. operational units active on cybersecurity, 'double-track' systems that can hardly be 'pierced' by a hacker attack, but also specific training for operators and, in case of emergencies, specific evacuation plans. After the hacker attacks on supermarkets and schools in recent days, vigilance is increasing in hospitals and healthcare companies.

The system, the president of the Federation of Health and Hospital Companies (Fiaso) Giuseppe Quintavalle told ANSA, "is alerted and we are prepared to deal with any attacks of this type. We therefore want to reassure citizens and a 'team' coordination is active, also with the Civil Protection and the prefectures, precisely to prevent and possibly counter the risks deriving from attacks".

The healthcare system, explains Quintavalle, "has been aware of the critical issues related to IT security since the Covid years, when major cyber attacks occurred. Cybersecurity has therefore been a priority in local health authorities for some time, because various types of intrusion attempts are numerous".

First of all, he explains, hospitals are equipped with uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) which intervene automatically in the event of a blackout and guarantee electrical continuity to the equipment. Furthermore, precise European security and IT protection protocols are envisaged and operators are also trained regarding the threat of phishing. In the event of an external hacker intrusion, companies have then activated 24-hour alert platforms capable of blocking the flow of data and information.

And again: the security systems include - as in the recent case of the refrigerators for storing blood in France - also manual detectors, not connected to the network and which therefore cannot be 'pierced' by hackers, a sort of 'double track' for security.

Today many local health authorities, Quintavalle underlines, "use advanced cybersecurity strategies, with a security system defined as hyperconverged". In practice, these are detailed monitoring platforms for all connected devices, which monitor the security status of hospital machinery. These are systems often integrated with AI and Machine Learning, which analyze network traffic to prevent attacks before they become critical. That is, they identify anomalous patterns and respond to potential threats automatically. Systems, Quintavalle notes, which "ensure the monitoring and management of incidents, and facilitate the preventive analysis of risks and possible vulnerabilities both of individual medical devices and in correlation to the network context in which they operate".

In short, "the threat exists, but healthcare companies are implementing targeted strategies and systems. However, teamwork is also fundamental - concludes President Fiaso - and the definition of clear rules and precise chains of command, just as in the case of evacuation plans. Cybersecurity is therefore a priority to be achieved together in an integrated way".