Medical imaging storage has stringent security requirements for privacy and accessibility.
Adding multi-factor authentication (MFA) can curb breaches of sensitive patient data hosted in your medical image cloud storage.
This guide covers strategies for implementing MFA bolstering defenses while respecting productivity needs in accessing imaging.
Reducing Risks of Exposed PHI
Multi-factor authentication prevents a single compromised password from providing system access, adding layers verifying user identities.
It represents many healthcare organizations prioritizing securing picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and vibrant image repositories.
With MFA enacting additional validation checkpoints beyond passwords alone before granting admittance, this technique dramatically lessens the risks of exposing protected health information (PHI) from hacking episodes. It can reduce such data breaches ∼by 90%.
Why Passwords Alone Fall Short?
Offering only password protections keeps medical archives profoundly vulnerable to various breach modalities:
- Attackers tricking staff into unwittingly revealing credentials via spear phishing attempts
- Unauthorized users stealing passwords left visible in workspaces
- Brute forcing simple or reused passwords via automated tools
- Exploiting passwords leaked on the dark web from past security failures
Once obtaining login details, cybercriminals can freely peruse medical images hunting for profitable PHI like:
- Patient names
- Contact data
- Birth dates
- Medical record numbers
- Credit card references
- Disability statuses
- Treatment details
Hackers sell such intelligence to identity thieves and predatory advertisers. Patients face risks of insurance fraud, harassment for prescriptions, and embarrassment over health disclosures.
Multi-Factor Authentication Overview
MFA inserts additional validation touches when signing into systems beyond just username/password combos. It generally implements one or more extra verification methods like:
One-time passcodes are delivered through SMS or voice calls confirming user identities by credentials only legitimate account holders possess and can input.
Hardware security keys using USB drives or NFC/Bluetooth mobile devices sharing signed authentication cryptographic handshakes with host systems.
Biometric checks scan users’ fingerprints, retinas, voices, or faces matching verified reference data.
Security questions prompt knowledge of preset memorable responses.
Email approvals require clicking unique verification links from trusted addresses.
Upon entering passwords, users get challenged to provide another factor, as outlined above, by whatever modes your organization selects.
Only after satisfying these extra credential requests can people access medical image archives.
Constructing Multi-Layered Protection
For maximum security, multiple styles of secondary authentication are simultaneously enabled.
Allow users to self-select their preferred modalities during system registration. Popular combinations include:
- Texted codes + security keys
- Biometric facial recognition + security questions
With two controls consistently verifying identities before entry is permitted, risks plummet for unauthorized image repository access if any singular factor gets compromised.
Optimizing Workflows Preserving Quick System Entry
Despite beefed-up validation checkpoints, staff productivity accessing images must not suffer notable detriments.
Physicians loathe additional steps impeding swift picture lookups informing urgent diagnoses.
To ease multi-factor friction, consider workflow optimizations like:
Limit second-factor frequency requirements to only once weekly or during each work shift rather than demanding repetition at every login. Fosters quicker re-entry for recently authenticated users.
Allow listing trusted devices, exempting multi-factor processes when staff access systems from registered machine fingerprints that match expected office computers or department mobile equipment. Raises defenses for remote off-network connections only.
Prepopulate biometric templates or store verification keys on institutional machines for rapid embedded MFA tapping existing sensors rather than mandating manual input steps.
Provide tiered authentication levels allowing limited image searches before validating stronger credentials to commence sensitive actions like editing records, exporting data stores, or altering permissions.
With convenient but secure options upholding physician productivity alongside patient privacy via MFA protections, medical archives more safely migrate into cloud-based image storage solutions.
Choosing Multi-Factor Providers and Services
If launching new PACS or enterprise imaging platforms, see vendors demonstrating competent domain MFA integrations specific to healthcare workflows.
They should highlight options optimized for clinicians accessing diagnostics data.
Additionally, when migrating legacy imaging archives into medical image cloud storage like Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Box.com, or Google Cloud, evaluate incorporating their inherent multi-factor tools as additional services. For example:
- Amazon Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies feature MFA for AWS apps
- Azure Active Directory implements conditional access policies requiring arbitrary factors
- Box supports U2F keys augmenting login validation
- Google offers Security Keys enforcing added authenticators
Enable these available capabilities rather than relying purely on native access settings in imaging storage products lacking robust PHI protections.
Third-party platforms also help plaster on concentrated MFA defenses:
- Duo
- Twilio Authy
- Microsoft Authenticator
- RSA SecurID
- YubiKey
Improve Security Postures with Compensating Controls
Sometimes, organizations determine that a complete multi-factor rollout poses excessive burdens on productivity or software customization requirements.
In these use cases, consider alternative compensating controls producing partial protections:
Append stronger password policies demanding 12+ character combos mixing cases, symbols, and numbers that frustrate brute forcing—train staff to avoid easily guessed or reused codes.
Lock accounts after a short period of idle, forcing re-authentication.
Reduce unauthorized exposure opportunities via strict data classification rules, access permissions, and network routing.
Log and monitor access attempts, watching for suspicious repeat failures.
Encrypt that, making stolen records less valuable.
Educate staff on securing workstations and credential best practices thwarting phishing lures.
Install the latest security patches to prevent the exploitation of known coding weaknesses.
Conclusion
With multi-factor authentication applied to imaging archives, medical institutions benefit from implementing prudent identity and access management controls, fulfilling ethical privacy duties, and empowering clinical staff to retrieve vital scans for quality care readily.
Carefully weigh medical specialty workflows when selecting MFA styles and providers to minimize physician frustration.
Seek solutions that offer convenience concessions that maintain the integrity and availability of protected health data as patients entrust your teams to guard sensitive life details.
To ensure HIPAA compliance, apply multi-factor authentication for medical image archives hosted in the medical image cloud storage.
