Network level risk management key to medical device security

In today’s highly connected world of healthcare, medical devices have become fully integrated elements of patient care and treatment. 

But a high scale of deployment also brings greater exposure to vulnerabilities through devices which might not always have been built to prioritise security. The European Commission’s NIS2 directive identifies aging technology and outdated systems as a key vulnerability for healthcare systems. And ENISA, the European Union agency for cybersecurity has identified targeted attacks enhanced by smart device data as a key emerging threat for 2030.

Non-disruptive risk management

In response to demand from healthcare organisations for systems to help them manage these rising levels of cybersecurity risk without having to take connected devices offline, Palo Alto Networks has enhanced its Medical IoT Security platform. Its end-to-end risk management workflow now provides network level protection, while the Enhanced Query Builder and Strata Copilot tools help simplify device security posture management and enables cybersecurity teams to customise queries and risk-data retrieval.

With so many devices now lifelines for patients rather than simply endpoints for monitoring, it is increasingly disruptive to take them offline for a software update or a system patch. 

Devices ranging from infusion pumps and patient monitors to medication dispensers and even MRI scanners are so tightly integrated with diagnosis and care pathways that even taking them offline for a short period could delay treatment and medication or disrupt hospital operations. On the other hand, waiting for a suitable time to upgrade or apply a patch could risk leaving the device exposed to potential exploitation by a cybersecurity threat, putting patient data and lives at risk. 

This creates a workflow balancing act for cybersecurity teams, which Palo Alto Networks has addressed with AI-driven Guided Virtual Patching - allowing software patches to be applied in real time at network level, while the device itself remains operational. In addition, risk-based vulnerability prioritisation means security teams can focus on critical vulnerabilities. The threat of zero-day software attacks – which target unknown vulnerabilities – is also managed by Palo Alto Networks’s Advanced Threat Prevention.

Threat context

The context of threat is vital in cybersecurity management for healthcare organisations. For example, a low-risk infusion pump could become high-risk when connected to the internet. Equally, the higher risk associated with an MRI scanner could be reduced if it was isolated in a segmented network with endpoint security.

Palo Alto Network’s Risk Adjustment feature enables organisations to customise the risk exposure of connected devices and make fast, informed and adaptive security decisions to reduce their exposure to threats. 

The Enhanced Query Builder and Strata Copilot tools also empower users to build and repeat structured queries, and receive actionable device security insights using their own conversational prompts.

This end-to-end approach to cybersecurity workflow means that healthcare organisations can now prioritise and address vulnerabilities, and manage risks effectively and efficiently, keeping critical devices secure and operational without disrupting patient care.

###

Meet Palo Alto Networks at their booth at HIMSS25 Europe (10-12 June), or attend the sessions they will be speaking in: ‘Are you safe? Cybersecurity’ (10 June) and ‘On Course: The State of Healthcare AI in 2025’ (11 June).