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For all the advances communications technology has made in the past few years, relentless cyberattacks still threaten patients and professionals across the healthcare industry. Microsoft has developed cybersecurity products and services to solve this problem, some of which are available to Microsoft customers for free. This is especially good news for rural hospitals.
When it comes to cybersecurity capabilities, not all hospitals are equal. Some are well-funded, fully staffed, and equipped with the necessary tools to effectively run cybersecurity operations. Others are stretched thin just keeping up with daily patient care. 
These hospitals often lack the budget, knowledge, expertise, and influence to adequately defend themselves from cyberattacks. Wendy Nather, formerly the CISO leader at Cisco, coined the term “below the security poverty line” to describe this situation.
Security poverty has gotten so bad for some hospitals that even the White House has announced partnerships with Microsoft and Google to hopefully lift healthcare providers out of it.
In response, Microsoft and Google are offering free products, services, and discounted pricing for security solutions.
Microsoft has launched the “Cybersecurity Program for Rural Hospitals,” while Google has introduced the
“Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Initiative.”
It’s encouraging to see industry leaders stepping up to meet this challenge. In fact, it could set a precedent for other cybersecurity vendors to follow suit and make their resources more accessible to rural hospitals. Below are more details about what Microsoft has made available.
Through this program, Microsoft provides a free cybersecurity assessment, free awareness and risk management training, and free E5 Security licenses for one year to those already using E3 licenses.
The cybersecurity assessment identifies gaps in the current environment and helps develop a plan to address them. The awareness training helps frontline workers recognize attacks, while the risk management training aids IT staff in developing a more mature risk management practice.
After the gaps are identified and a plan is drawn up, the next step is implementation, where the free E5 Security license becomes invaluable.
The Microsoft E5 Security license offers modern and powerful capabilities to defend against cyberattacks. Reviewing the feature comparison table4, we can see it includes the following:
To optimize the program’s impact, the powerful features of the Microsoft E5 Security license must be complemented with thoughtful risk management and overall security architecture. A mature risk management practice provides the organization with a governance framework that ensures various business processes work together to achieve the intended outcomes.
Similarly, well-designed security architecture ensures that different technologies work together to meet business objectives, minimizing overlap and cost. This is where having a trusted advisor like Continuant can be invaluable.
Continuant is a trusted advisor that can help you implement the plan developed from the free risk assessment. With access to hundreds of security tools and services, Continuant can help rural hospitals achieve their security objectives beyond the free license period.
Given the program’s time limit, it’s essential to align the free resources with your long-term planning. We can strategically use Microsoft’s resources as a starting point from which we’ll mature your cybersecurity. Afterward, we’ll review your options and budget to determine the best path forward for your hospital.
In closing, there are three action items for rural hospitals to leverage this program:
Patient safety is too important to leave to chance, and it’s our responsibility to do what we can. We are here to help.
