Top identity threats facing healthcare organizations

Identity has become a major target for cybercriminals, affecting organizations of all sizes, and particularly healthcare. High-profile incidents like MGM Resorts and 23andMe have shown how central identity can be in successful attacks. As dependence on web applications, cloud services, and remote access increases, so does the risk of identity-related threats. 

Understanding identity threats

Identity threats encompass a wide range of cyber threats and attack tactics that target an organization's identity structure or an individual user's identity. These threats are on the rise for several reasons:

• Increased reliance on digital environments: The growing dependence on web applications, cloud-based infrastructures, and remote work has led to a proliferation of user credentials and access points, making identity an attractive target for threat actors.
• Lack of password hygiene: Weak password practices and insufficient security awareness among users have made credentials an easy target.
• Credential exposure on the dark web: The rise of data exfiltration during ransomware attacks and the rapid increase of leak sites have created a pool of compromised credentials available to threat actors for subsequent attacks.
• Identity as the new endpoint: For many modern organizations, identity has become a part of the attack surface, with threat actors increasingly targeting identities to gain access and penetrate networks. 

As organizations face rising threats, they must understand common identity-based attacks and how threat actors compromise an organization’s security.

Compromised credentials

Credentials are the digital keys that unlock access to valuable resources within an organization. Threat actors can obtain these credentials through a variety of means, such as credential stuffing, phishing, or data breaches, and then use them to gain initial access or move laterally within the network, often while evading detection.

Social engineering attacks

Threat actors have increasingly relied on social engineering tactics, such as phishing and smishing, to target individuals and gain access to their credentials or trick them into performing actions that compromise security. These attacks can be used as a means of initial access or to further the attacker's objectives within the network.

Password-based attacks

Threat actors can employ various password-based attack methods, including brute-force attacks, and man-in-the-middle attacks, to guess or intercept user credentials and gain unauthorized access to the organization's systems and data.

Technical tactics

More sophisticated threat actors may also employ technical tactics like Kerberoasting and pass-the-hash attacks to obtain and use secret codes that transform into passwords, known as credential hashes, enabling them to impersonate users and gain access to sensitive resources.

Read more: What is an impersonation attack? 

Strengthening identity security

To combat increasing identity-based attacks, organizations must strengthen identity security, including using strategies that make it more difficult to penetrate a network. 

Identity threat detection and response (ITDR)

ITDR combines threat intelligence, identity best practices, tools, and processes to proactively detect and respond to identity-based threats. ITDR involves regularly analyzing permission configurations, monitoring user behavior, and implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and privileged access management (PAM) controls.

Identity and access management (IAM)

Implementing an IAM strategy is central to securing an organization's identity infrastructure. It involves setting rules for access control, overseeing and regularly monitoring access, and aligning with a zero-trust framework that follows the principle of least-privilege access.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

MFA is a fundamental access control mechanism that can mitigate the risk of password-based attacks. By requiring users to provide additional verification factors, MFA can effectively prevent threat actors from gaining unauthorized access, even if they have obtained stolen credentials.

Dark web monitoring

Continuously monitoring the dark web for compromised credentials can help organizations stay ahead of potential threats and take proactive measures to secure their identity infrastructure, such as resetting passwords or enabling additional security controls.

Comprehensive security awareness training

Educating and empowering employees to recognize and respond to identity-based threats, such as phishing attempts and poor password practices, helps reduce the human risk factor and strengthen an organization's overall identity security posture.

24/7 monitoring and threat detection

Continuous monitoring of the network and identity sources, coupled with advanced threat detection capabilities, can help organizations quickly identify and mitigate identity-based threats before they escalate into full-scale cyber incidents.

Read also: Secure identity verification methods in healthcare email 

What can Paubox do?

Paubox offers a suite of inbound security solutions that safeguard email communications and sensitive information against a variety of cyber threats. Features include ExecProtect, which prevents display name spoofing by isolating fraudulent emails before they reach the recipient, and GeoFencing, which filters emails based on their geographical origin to reduce spam and adhere to regulatory standards. Additionally, DomainAge helps identify potential threats from newly registered domains, while the AI-powered Blacklist Bot automatically updates to block malicious senders.

The suite also provides malware and virus protection, real-time scanning, and ransomware defense. With advanced threat detection and spam filtering mechanisms, Paubox ensures that malicious content is effectively blocked before it can reach users. Integrating these features into an email security strategy helps organizations mitigate risks associated with identity threats and maintain the integrity of their communications.

Learn more: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide

In the news

In September 2023, MGM Resorts, a prominent hotel and casino chain, fell victim to a severe cyber attack executed by the hacker groups ALPHV and Scattered Spider. The attackers utilized advanced social engineering tactics to breach MGM’s systems, including an identity-based attack by Scattered Spider. 

The group exploited LinkedIn to identify a current MGM employee, impersonated them, and called the MGM IT help desk, requesting assistance with login issues. Through impersonation, the organization gained administrator privileges to MGM’s Okta and Azure environments. The subsequent ransomware attack led to significant operational disruptions, including the failure of online reservation systems, digital room keys, slot machines, and websites, resulting in substantial losses for MGM over ten days. 

FAQs

What are identity threats and how do they relate to healthcare security? 

Identity threats refer to attempts by cybercriminals to steal, misuse, or manipulate personal and sensitive information for malicious purposes, such as identity theft, fraud, or unauthorized access to systems. In healthcare, identity threats can compromise protected health information (PHI) and disrupt healthcare services, making security measures necessary to protect patient data and ensure HIPAA compliance.

Why are identity threats necessary for HIPAA compliance in healthcare settings? 

Identity threats are necessary for HIPAA compliance because they directly target sensitive patient information that HIPAA tries to protect. If healthcare organizations fail to implement adequate safeguards against identity threats, they risk violating HIPAA regulations, leading to substantial fines, legal consequences, and damage to patient trust.

What are the potential risks associated with identity threats under HIPAA? 

• Data breaches: Unauthorized access to or exposure of ePHI, leading to identity theft, fraud, and privacy violations.
• Non-compliance penalties: Fines and legal consequences for failing to protect ePHI as required by HIPAA.
• Financial losses: Costs related to breach remediation, legal fees, and potential settlements with affected individuals.
• Reputational damage: Loss of trust from patients, partners, and the public due to inadequate protection of sensitive information.

Operational impact: Disruptions to healthcare services and administrative functions due to compromised data security.