Legacy software is common in healthcare. While this outdated technology serves functional significance, it is often vulnerable to attacks. Hackers know this and exploit the weaknesses, resulting in data breaches, ransomware, and service disruption. This article will explain how legacy systems increase cybersecurity risks in healthcare and what you can do to reduce them.
The State of Legacy Systems in Healthcare Cybersecurity
The healthcare industry is facing a growing cybersecurity threat driven by the widespread use of outdated technology. Studies show a concerning picture: 73% of healthcare organizations are running legacy software applications that don’t meet today’s security requirements.
The healthcare security community has recognized this critical vulnerability. In recent industry surveys, 39% of healthcare cybersecurity experts identify legacy technology among their greatest security concerns.
This recognition is based on empirical evidence of successful attacks. When researchers analyzed the most significant security breaches experienced by healthcare organizations, they discovered that legacy IT infrastructure served as the initial entry point for attackers in 24% of incidents.
Security Risks from Outdated Systems
Healthcare organizations face unique cybersecurity challenges that make them an attractive target for attackers. The presence of legacy systems throughout the healthcare environment creates specific vulnerabilities that cybercriminals actively look for and exploit.
1. Complex Technical Ecosystems
Modern hospitals operate with an intricate web of interconnected systems. With over 2 million Internet of Things (IoT) devices currently deployed across American hospital systems, these connections create countless potential entry points for malicious actors. The security gaps become even more pronounced when legacy systems must interface with the newer technologies.
2. Interoperability Requirements
Healthcare demands seamless data exchange between systems for effective patient care. Legacy systems often struggle with this interoperability. This can lead to integration workarounds that frequently compromise security protocols.
Heightened interconnectivity means that compromising a single outdated system can provide attackers with access to the entire network of connected devices, potentially affecting everything from medical records to life-supporting equipment.
3. Hidden Internet-Facing Assets
Many healthcare organizations hold on to unmonitored, outdated devices and systems that remain connected to external networks without proper security controls. These forgotten assets, sometimes deployed years ago for temporary purposes, create perfect entry points for attackers.
4. Resource Constraints
Smaller, fewer-bed hospitals have more challenges with cybersecurity. Low IT budgets, personnel shortages, and competing priorities mean slow updates and unpatched vulnerabilities.
5. Lack of Zero-Trust Security
Healthcare’s legacy architecture was predominantly constructed when cybersecurity threats were less sophisticated and prevalent. Those systems typically rely on old forms of authentication and are founded upon perimeter-based models of security that prove inadequate to modern threats.
Without zero-trust architecture—where every access request is completely authenticated, authorized, and encrypted regardless of where it comes from—attackers that achieve access beyond the network perimeter can laterally move across hospital systems with minimal impedance.
Steps to Reduce the Risk Posed by Outdated Systems
The following steps can help healthcare institutions strengthen their cybersecurity posture to mitigate the risks posed by outdated systems:
Step 1: Comprehensive Asset Inventory
The foundation of sound healthcare cybersecurity begins with complete visibility. When we conduct security audits, we consistently discover internet-facing assets that administrators were unaware even existed. This includes legacy systems with unsupported software, abandoned test environments with default passwords, and medical devices connecting to networks without any security controls.
A comprehensive asset inventory should include hardware specifications, software versions, patch levels, and network configurations for all devices. Organizations should have regular scanning processes defined so that new devices are quickly discovered and sufficiently secured before they can introduce vulnerabilities.
Step 2: Implement Zero-Trust Architecture
The traditional security model of building a robust perimeter defense is not viable in today’s healthcare landscape. With cloud-based services, remote access requirements, and mobile devices, the network perimeter has all but vanished.
Zero-trust architecture is a security paradigm shift that’s particularly helpful for healthcare organizations grappling with legacy systems. The concept relies on the principle that no user or device should be implicitly trusted, regardless of location or network connection. Instead, verification needs to take place for every access attempt, with the aim of limiting the blast radius of compromised accounts or devices.
Step 3: Establish a Centralized Management System
The complexity of healthcare IT environments demands centralized management. A centralized repository acts as the one source of truth for all security-related information. It should integrate data from vulnerability scanners and patch management systems. By correlating the information, security teams understand where to focus remediation efforts according to real-world risk.
Step 4: Deploy Enterprise-Level Data Loss Prevention
Strong, enterprise-grade security controls that can safeguard both modern and legacy systems are essential for healthcare organizations. Advanced threat detection capabilities that can recognize novel attack vectors and sophisticated threat actors that target healthcare organizations specifically must be a part of this multi-layered strategy.
Healthcare organizations also need mature incident response capabilities. When breaches occur, the dividing line between minor disruption and complete disaster typically comes down to the speed and efficacy of the response by the organization.
The ProcessBolt Difference
Legacy systems may be unavoidable in healthcare, but security threats don’t have to be. ProcessBolt gives hospitals the solutions to secure aging systems. With our platform, healthcare organizations gain:
- Zero-trust architecture to secure access and prevent unauthorized threats from moving through the network.
- A centralized repository that keeps all device and vendor data in one easily managed system.
- Comprehensive asset monitoring to track internet-facing systems and detect security gaps before they’re exploited.
- Automated vendor risk assessments to identify weaknesses in third-party systems and strengthen supply chain security.
ProcessBolt strengthens security, allowing organizations to focus on what matters most—patient care. With the right approach, you can secure your legacy systems against today’s increasing cybersecurity threats.
Ready to see similar results?
Schedule a 15‑minute Risk Audit with a ProcessBolt security specialist and get a custom remediation roadmap for your hospital today.
