Last updated at Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:22:03 GMT

Gartner predicts that 50% of organizations will partner with an Managed XDR service by 2025 for around-the-clock monitoring. What determines where healthcare organizations fall on that 50/50 split over using an outsourced SOC? It usually comes down to their ability to adapt to the current needs of the healthcare industry.

A growing demand for improved healthcare services means more healthcare providers are turning to the cloud. But for a world built on strict regulations and literal life-or-death situations, migrating too quickly to the cloud can be a serious challenge. When healthcare teams take on cloud adoption too fast, then run the risk of:

  • Accumulating cloud services that fall through security cracks—AKA shadow IT
  • Expanding their organization’s attack surface without a means of defense, opening up more opportunities for breaches and leaks

That’s where the help of an outsourced SOC comes in. With an extra team of experts on board, healthcare organizations can secure new ephemeral environments—without putting their security teams through resource strain or burnout.

Still, it can be tough for healthcare organizations to identify when it’s time to outsource, if ever at all. Here are some tell-tale signs that outsourcing a SOC and investing in managed security services is the right call.

Your Teams Are Already Overwhelmed

While most healthcare organizations have a trusted team of a few security experts, they’re usually smaller than most healthcare security teams in tech enterprises, snappy startups, or other more cyber-savvy industries. That leads to a tricky cycle of needing to do more with fewer resources.

A day in the life of a security engineer in healthcare is marked by a seemingly endless game of catchup—one that doesn’t support speed, efficiency, or a successful migration to the cloud.

If your organization’s security teams are:

  • Struggling to find qualified talent
  • Overwhelmed by firefighting every single incident on their plate
  • Tired of combing through seas of alerts—some of which are false positives
  • Burned out by carrying out repetitive and mundane tasks that could be automated

You’re Super New to the Cloud

Healthcare security teams are typically IT or network pros who are well-acquainted and well-trained to defend traditional environments. However, there may be knowledge gaps when it comes to healthcare’s approach to cloud security. But with global cyber attacks on healthcare organizations rising 74% per week in 2022, security teams have no time to waste learning how to protect cloud environments.

Investing in the right education and training for healthcare’s traditional security pros simply takes time and effort that many organizations can’t afford to waste. But with an external SOC, security teams can:

  • Rely on cloud security experts to handle the trickiest parts of the process
  • Learn as they go with the guidance of seasoned professionals
  • Gain strategic guidance and insights to help take their security program to the next level

You’d Benefit From Automated Processes but Struggle To Implement Them

Automation is the key to boosting your cloud security program and iterating it at scale. For healthcare, automation provides the biggest benefit in ensuring that strict compliance regulations—like HIPAA—are met. That spells good news for stakeholders, who are typically most concerned with meeting standards and maintaining compliance.

With automation, security teams in healthcare can:

  • Configure guardrails ensuring new assets and environments adhere to regulations and compliance standards
  • Set up automated alerts that indicate when standards are not met

However, implementing automation, especially if your organization’s new at it, can seem like a hefty investment and a daunting task to accomplish. It’s time to enlist the help of an outsourced SOC if your security teams:

  • Have limited or no experience with automation
  • Are still manually handling a lot of rote but necessary tasks
  • Know where duties get repetitive but don’t know what to do about it

That way, external cyber experts can set up automated guardrails, teach your teams how they work, and eliminate tedious, manual work.

Next Steps With Outsourced SOCs

Organizations with limited resources and novice knowledge of the cloud can significantly benefit from teaming up with managed services. But in a sea of possible partners, knowing which experts to go with can be tough—especially when healthcare organizations have various security needs.

That’s why we built Managed Threat Complete, an always-on MDR with vulnerability management in a single subscription. Consolidate your investment in external SOCs by teaming up with our seasoned security pros today.

Learn More

For more information about healthcare cybersecurity, download our new ebook: In Healthcare (and Security) Early Detection is Key

In this eBook, you’ll learn:

  • The current state of threats in the healthcare industry
  • The top challenges in addressing those threats
  • How to overcome those challenges and implement defense strategies