Compliance with Cybersecurity Frameworks

Cyber Risks in Healthcare

The healthcare sector—including hospitals, pharmaceutical R&D, and medical devices—is a high-value target for cybercriminals. The increasing reliance on digital patient records, connected medical equipment, and remote healthcare services has expanded the attack surface. Cyberattacks can disrupt life-saving treatments, expose sensitive patient data, and halt pharmaceutical production, putting lives at risk.


Regulatory Pressure: Strengthening Cybersecurity in Healthcare

Governments and regulatory bodies have introduced stringent cybersecurity requirements to protect healthcare infrastructure. Regulations such as NIS2, GDPR, HIPAA, IEC 62443, and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) mandate strong authentication, access control, and risk management. Compliance is essential for hospitals, pharmaceutical firms, and medical device manufacturers to prevent cyber incidents, avoid legal penalties, and safeguard patient care.

Notable Attacks on the Healthcare Industry

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2023: Ransomware Attack on UK NHS Provider

A cyberattack targeted a major NHS service provider, forcing hospitals to cancel thousands of appointments, including urgent cancer treatments. Attackers encrypted vital patient records and demanded ransom, significantly disrupting emergency services. The breach raised concerns about the security of patient data and the resilience of healthcare IT systems.

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2021: COVID-19 Vaccine Research Hack

State-sponsored hackers attempted to breach major pharmaceutical companies and research institutions involved in COVID-19 vaccine development. The attack aimed to steal critical research data and intellectual property, highlighting the importance of securing pharmaceutical R&D against cyber espionage.

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2017: WannaCry Attack on NHS (UK)

The infamous WannaCry ransomware infected over 200,000 computers globally, crippling NHS hospitals, locking medical devices, and forcing cancellations of almost 20,000 appointments and surgeries. The attack exposed vulnerabilities in outdated healthcare IT infrastructure and underscored the need for stronger cybersecurity measures.

Benefits of OT Auth Solutions

To prevent cyberattacks and comply with regulations, healthcare organisations must secure access to patient data, medical devices, and research facilities. swIDch’s OT authentication solutions—PLC OTAC and OTAC Trusted Access Gateway (TAG)—provide a secure, scalable, and network-independent approach to protecting healthcare infrastructure.

 

Why OT Authentication is Essential for Healthcare

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Regulatory Compliance

Ensures adherence to NIS2, GDPR, HIPAA, IEC 62443, and CRA by enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and secure access control.
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Security in Air-Gapped Environments

PLC OTAC generates authentication codes that work without a network connection, ensuring secure access to critical systems.
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Protection for Connected Medical Devices

Secures IoMT devices, hospital networks, and remote monitoring systems against cyber threats.
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Secure Access to Pharmaceutical Facilities & R&D Labs

Prevents unauthorised access to vaccine research, drug manufacturing, and patient records.
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How OT Auth solutions work

Traditional healthcare authentication methods rely on passwords, network-based authentication, or VPNs, which are vulnerable to credential theft, phishing, and ransomware attacks. swIDch’s OT authentication solutions eliminate these risks by generating dynamic, unidirectional authentication codes that work even in offline environments.

 

How It Enhances Security in Healthcare:
🔹 Prevents unauthorised access to hospital IT and OT networks.
🔹 Works in air-gapped and low-connectivity environments, securing life-saving medical systems.
🔹 Eliminates reliance on network-based authentication, reducing attack exposure.
🔹 Requires no additional hardware, making it a cost-effective and scalable solution.

By adopting swIDch’s OT authentication solutions, healthcare organisations can enhance cybersecurity, comply with industry regulations, and protect patient safety from cyber threats.

Discover OT Authentication Solutions

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Healthcare Security FAQs

  • Healthcare systems contain sensitive patient data and critical medical devices that must be protected against cyber threats.

  • Yes, they provide strong authentication for connected medical devices, reducing the risk of unauthorised access.

  • It prevents unauthorised access to research data and manufacturing systems, protecting intellectual property.

 

Award Highlights

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Hot Company in PLC Security at the 2025 Global InfoSec Awards
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Hot Company in Operational Technology (OT) Security at the Top InfoSec Innovator Awards 2024
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Cybersecurity Breakthrough Award 2022_swIDch
"Transaction Security Solutions of the Year" 2022 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Award
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Best IoT/IIoT Security Solution 2022 SC Awards
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2022 Gold Winner at 14th Annual 2022 Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Awards
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2021 Cybertech 100
2021 Cybertech 100
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2020 Cybertech category winner of EUROPAS 2020 Award
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CyberSecurity Breakthrough Award 2020 4MP
“Authentication Solution of the Year” CyberSecurity Breakthrough Award 2020
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