In the healthcare industry, the word “triage” typically refers to a medical process that determines the order in which admitted patients receive treatment. In larger hospitals, triage protocol becomes particularly vital, as hundreds (and potentially even thousands) of patients pursue treatment and care daily. As patients are triaged, medical professionals systematically work through the symptoms and severity of an illness or injury to prioritize every individual based on need, ensuring that those with the most significant conditions receive care first, while those with non-critical ailments are treated later.
The Benefits of Budgeted Triage to Your Healthcare IT Security
Healthcare IT Triage Can Boost Overall Cybersecurity Efforts
When applied to healthcare cybersecurity and software, the word triage has a similar definition, albeit a very different application. Defect triage, also known as bug triage, is a quality assurance process where a team of designated stakeholders (that may include cybersecurity and data loss prevention specialists) systematically test and assess technology utilized across the organization. Software triage can identify potential system compromises, allowing the team to prioritize resolution based on several factors including risk, frequency, and severity. When consistently implemented throughout healthcare organizations of every size and scope, this thorough software testing approach can increase overall cybersecurity efforts and help prevent a cyber attack or data breach.
Outsourcing Your Defect Triage Needs To An MSSP Can Prove Exceptionally Cost Effective
The value of effective software quality assurance testing and defect resolution in a medical environment should not be undervalued. As the healthcare industry continues to grow, facilities and organizations within every specialty have found themselves facing a seemingly endless stream of digital criminal activity and cyber attacks, making continuous defect triage vital. However, as with any healthcare IT initiative, maintaining the ultimate budget is a critical component in the overall success of the project. For many healthcare IT executives looking to pursue a cost-effective option, outsourcing bug triage to a professional managed service security provider (MSSP) proves an ideal solution.
Teaming with an outside provider to manage your software triage initiative delivers several vital benefits, all the while helping you maintain a steady focus on your budget restraints. Your chosen MSSP will offer:
Time Efficiency
Setting up a software triage on your own can be extremely time-consuming, forcing members of your team to spend excessive hours ramping up on how to best manage the process internally (a/k/a not performing their many other daily tasks). A professional MSSP has mastered the defect triage process and will arrive at your healthcare facility ready to hit the ground running.
Effective Team Coordination
Establishing the right team of stakeholders is crucial to the overall success of the initiative. Most defect triage teams include mandatory meeting members:
- Project Manager
- Test Team Leader
- Development Team Leader
- Test Team Leader
The group may also include optional participants such as:
- Developers
- Business Analysts
- Testers
Your selected MSSP will often provide its own team members as needed. However, their staff will also partner closely with your personnel to identify relevant internal stakeholders and collaborative opportunities to accelerate defect resolution across every organizational level.
Meeting Management
Once the team has been established, the managed service security provider will also coordinate and lead the actual meetings as team leader to further save your organization time, money, and resources. Every defect triage meeting has several must-have components that include:
- Distributing bug report with most recent defects
- Rearranging existing assigned priorities as needed
- Analyzing and evaluating defects by severity degree
- Capturing any updates in bug-tracking system
Your outsourced team lead will keep everyone on task, assigning relevant action items as needed to optimize efficiencies and overall project success.
Are you managing your network security triage needs alone – or not at all? We can help. Contact Fortified Health Security today to learn more about how we use software testing and defect prioritizing to keep your healthcare organization safe from a cyber attack.