Palo Alto Networks launches IoT security solution for healthcare clients

Santa Clara, California-based cybersecurity major Palo Alto Networks has announced a new internet of things (IoT)-based security solution for healthcare customers. 

The new solution, a statement said, would help the internet of medical things (IoMT) segment attain better visibility through insights on devices and discover vulnerabilities through machine learning algorithms. 

A March 2020 report by Unit 42, the cybersecurity research wing of Palo Alto, showed that 83% of medical imaging devices run on unsupported operating systems, which made them potential avenues for attackers. Breaches on such weak systems could disrupt the quality of healthcare as well as leak patient data, it said.

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Apart from machine learning, the solution will use crowd-sourced telemetry to profile devices over the network, provide policy recommendations to reduce manual effort, and intrusion prevention to block an attack. 

Other features include sandboxing to detect and prevent IoT malware, along with URL and DNS security, the company said. 

“IoMT has the potential to improve healthcare, save lives, and bring massive savings. But if not properly secured, these same devices can pose huge risks,” Anand Oswal, senior vice president and general manager, firewall as a platform at Palo Alto Networks, said. 

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The IoMT healthcare system includes a manufacturer disclosure statement for medical device security (MDS Ingestion), which allows for deeper vulnerability analysis, tuned anomaly detection and other recommended policies. 

The solution will also provide insights to biomedical and clinical engineering teams on how the network is being used and how resource allocation, patient care and capital planning can be optimised.