IT security within the healthcare industry is currently facing a major staffing crisis. This cybersecurity talent shortage has delivered significant blows throughout virtually every vertical, but the healthcare sector has been hit especially hard. A 2017 report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services noted that the employment gap within the healthcare vertical is so severe that nearly three out of four surveyed hospitals do not even have a designated security person, let alone the full team of security professionals needed to prevent data breaches and protect patient records.
Why is there such a gaping IT security personnel hole in so many healthcare organizations? For many health systems, not having a fully staffed security team is a direct result of the severe lack of qualified candidates in the security talent pool. There simply aren’t enough applicants to fill the available cybersecurity positions – and those that actually do apply often don’t have the required training and experience. Additionally, for many healthcare providers, their severely understaffed IT team boils down to bottom line dollars. As healthcare organizations look to cut costs and run their operations as lean as possible, many organizations are trying to make do with tighter budgets that don’t provide them with the resources to boost network security and fortify their system against ever-evolving cyber attacks.
How to Face the Staffing Crisis
Healthcare Executives Redefining The IT Staffing Process
Faced with tight budgets and dwindling candidate resources, managers in every healthcare sector are meeting the IT staffing crisis head-on by outsourcing their security needs to a third party team that specializes in managing the on-going fundamentals of a solid security program. This alternative approach to the traditional, full-time hiring model delivers several key benefits to healthcare providers in every niche.
Fully Assembled Team
Overwhelmed with the thought of having to source, call, interview, screen, and hire IT security professionals, many hospitals and healthcare facilities completely ignore their ever-growing cybersecurity gap altogether, hoping the problem will solve itself (it won’t). A qualified and skilled cybersecurity firm eliminates every step in the hiring process except for, well, the actual hire. Your chosen provider will have a well-established team of trained IT professionals ready to run portions of your security program, instantly saving you invaluable time (and sanity) in the process.
Cost Effective Solution
Not only does outsourcing portions of your healthcare facility’s cybersecurity program save you time, but it can also save you money. Many healthcare organizations are surprised to learn that working with a professional cybersecurity firm can significantly cut on-going human capital costs. Hiring full-time staff means budgeting for far more than just salaries. You’ll also have to absorb periphery costs such as healthcare and other employee benefits. Not to mention on-going training and career paths to keep this newly acquired talent. Working with a third party IT security team often means you’ll only pay an hourly rate or flat project fee throughout the length of the engagement, without incurring any fringe expenses. More importantly, you’ll only pay for the actual hours or services performed to ensure you can keep a tight handle on costs at all times.
Skillset Match
The lack of IT talent often means “settling for” candidates who aren’t the right fit simply due to lack of options. Partnering with a reputable cybersecurity firm means you’ll have access to an entire team of trained, experienced, and (most importantly) vetted technology professionals who have the right skillset to manage your specific IT infrastructure and system needs.
Extension Of Your Team
Best of all, an independent team of qualified cybersecurity consultants will serve as a direct extension of your organization. Their crew of IT cybersecurity specialists will work directly with your executive staff and facility stakeholders to gain a firm understanding of your organizations distinctive needs, goals, and vision. From there, they will craft a customized approach that minimizes your company’s risks and vulnerabilities while maximizing data loss protection across the entire organization.
Want to hear more about using an outsourced cybersecurity team to combat the current staffing crisis? Contact Fortified Health Security today.