According to the World Economic Forum, the healthcare industry has held the record for reporting the most expensive data breaches for more than 13 years. In 2023, the average per healthcare breach came in at $10.93 million, almost double that of the financial industry which came in second with an average cost of $5.9 million. According to the HIPAA-Journal, the healthcare sector has increasingly seen more cyber-attacks year-over-year since 2015.
With its vast amount of sensitive patient data and the criticality of its operations, the healthcare sector is a prime target for cybercriminals — making cyber resiliency of the utmost importance.
Compounding the pressure on healthcare IT leaders is the need to drive innovations, like delivering a mobile-first experience, while keeping operations running smoothly for the organization to stay competitive in the market.
Small and large organizations across our nation combat these challenges daily. In this article, we’ll dive into a specific use case of a premier clinical research network spanning across Texas, Nevada and California to showcase how virtual mobility revolutionized their practice.
Led by an IT, cybersecurity and facility operations leader, the research organization needed a secure HIPAA-complaint solution that would allow its employees to access ePHI and other critical applications, like Outlook, remotely while accounting for the highest level of patient care and operational efficiency.
Deploying a HIPAA-compliant solution for endpoint devices was a part of their larger IT strategy. Mobile access improved patient care by facilitating secure real-time collaboration and coordination between teams while empowering patients with access to their health information anytime, anywhere. Additionally, it provided a competitive advantage compared to other providers by offering more patient-centered and efficient services, thereby attracting and retaining patients in an increasingly competitive market.
The solution chosen had to be secure and HIPAA compliant; it also needed to scale across the company and country while keeping costs low. The IT leader knew that purchasing secondary devices could prove too risky and costly, and other solutions like mobile device management (MDM) solutions raised concerns about data exposure and employee privacy. They also had to consider a recent incident where an executive’s mobile device was stolen and cloned, highlighting the need for a proven and secure offering.
After a thorough evaluation, the organization concluded that the risks posed by other mobile solutions were too significant. Despite considering MDM technology, concerns regarding HIPAA compliance and the potential for data exposure on lost or stolen devices persisted. Issuing corporate devices proved to be prohibitively expensive.
In response to these challenges, the organization implemented a tailored, cutting-edge virtual mobilization solution that enables employees to securely access critical applications from their personal phones or tablets without infringing on their privacy.
The results were transformative.
The organization gained compliance and reduced end-point attack surfaces; they had peace of mind that no data could be lost or stolen because data accessed via a virtual mobile device is never stored on the physical device. Employees eagerly adopted the solution with the confidence that their privacy was protected, and there would never be a need to confiscate or wipe their devices.
This success story underscores the importance of finding innovative solutions to healthcare challenges while maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance. By embracing mobile-first strategies and prioritizing the protection of patient health information, the organization solidified its position as an industry leader in healthcare innovation. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, organizations like this serve as catalysts for positive change.
Jonathan Gardner 
Rebecca Pifer 
Emily Olsen