Information Technology and Medical Technology Personnel´s Perception Regarding Segmentation of Medical Devices: A Focus Group Study

Abstract

Objective: Segmentation is one way of improving data protection. The aim of this study was to investigate Information Technology (IT) and Medical Technology (MT) personnel’s perception in relation to ongoing segmentation of medical devices and IT infrastructure in the healthcare sector. Methods: Focus group interviews with 9 IT and 9 MT personnel in a county council in southern Sweden were conducted. The interviews focused on two areas: Positive expectations and misgivings. Digital recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Responses related to 2 main areas: Information security and implementation of segmentation. Informants stated that network segmentation would increase the overall level of cybersecurity for medical devices, addressing both insider and outsider threats. However, it would also increase the need for administration and the need for knowledge of the communication patterns of medical devices from the manufacturer’s perspective. Conclusion: IT and MT personnel in a county council in southern Sweden believed that segmentation would increase cybersecurity but also increase administration and resource needs, which are important opinions to take into consideration. The present study can be used as a model for others to increase awareness of opinions of healthcare organizations.

Influence of Human Factors on Cyber Security within Healthcare Organisations: A Systematic Review

“…In this section, we present a summary analysis of the key aspects being addressed in the literature that relate to the impact of “social engineering” attacks launched against healthcare professionals. The publications are classified into three main categories, namely (i) training and awareness activities on social engineering attacks (e.g., phishing) [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]; (ii) activities related to promoting general awareness on information security against cyber attacks [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]; and (iii) best practice recommendations adopted in promoting cyber hygiene from other industrial sectors [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 66 ].…”

“…On the other hand, training programmes are formal and have the goal of building knowledge and skills in cybersecurity measures. In [ 19 ], the authors presented a study on the stakeholder perception of categorising connected medical devices in which IT personnel and medical technology members participated to share their views on the cyber security risks posed by respective devices. The study concluded that segmentation of medical devices based on the risk assessment would increase cyber security measures, but would also increase administration and resource needs.…”

“…Following the increasing number of articles being published, addressing the role of humans in the loop for enhancing the cybersecurity since 2016 [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ], there is a need to consolidate the research findings. The main objective of this systematic review is to review the literature to gather evidence from organisational case studies, author observations and scientific developments in cybersecurity to identify the role of including humans in the loop for strengthening cyber defence within the healthcare industry.…”

Does Internet Use Affect Individuals’ Medical Service Satisfaction? Evidence from China

“…Column (1) only examines the impact of Internet use on medical service satisfaction and column (2)-(4) adds control variables in turn. It can be found that the key explanatory variable, Internet use, is significantly negative in columns (1)- (4), indicating that the estimation results are relatively robust. From the results in the columns (4), the influence coefficient of Internet use on medical security satisfaction is -0.1364 (significant at the 1%).…”

“…Indeed, the past decade has witnessed the widespread application of the Internet in public health, which has aroused scholars' persistent interest in exploring the relationship between the Internet and health. A growing number of studies have shown that Internet is widely utilized by its users to search for the information related to drugs and health [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Meanwhile, various kinds of Internet apps have also become important instruments for people to engage in health management in their daily life (e.g., telemedicine and electronic health records) [11].…”