Steinbrueck Chiropractic Health Center Relies on Perch Security to Detect and Respond to NH-ISAC’s Threat Intelligence

CASE STUDY

Steinbrueck Chiropractic Health Center & NH-ISAC

The ProblemFor most small healthcare practices, cybersecurity concerns are a complex and insurmountable problem. Modern cyber threats are quickly changing, complex and difficult to prevent. This problem is compounded by the reality that most small healthcare practices simply don’t have the budget necessary to adequately defend their network.

Lisa Steinbrueck is no stranger to this dilemma. As the Privacy Compliance Officer for Steinbrueck Chiropractic Health Center in Palmyra, Missouri, she has experienced these challenges firsthand.

“Small practices cannot afford to hire IT personnel with specialized training that is required to maintain proper security, let alone meet HIPAA requirements,” Steinbrueck says. However, Steinbrueck knows these troubles don’t absolve a small practice from implementing the necessary security requirements to protect their patient information from cybersecurity threats.

1.  Cybersecurity is a complex and insurmountable problem

2.  Modern cyber threats are quickly changing, complex and difficult to prevent

3.  Most small healthcare practices simply don’t have the budget necessary to adequately defend their network

Lisa Steinbrueck Steinbrueck Chiropractic Health Center

The Solution NH-ISAC and Perch Partnership

Aware that NH-ISAC is a trusted information and threat sharing resource, Steinbrueck decided to speak with the National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (NH-ISAC) for assistance. “We are in a rural area so our IT options are very limited which was the main reason I reached out to NH-ISAC,” Steinbrueck says. “I wanted the ability to know if there was a breach quickly, so I could mitigate the consequences right away.”

Steinbrueck was introduced to Perch Security, the NH-ISAC’s partner for threat intelligence detection and response. Perch was able to help Steinbrueck’s practice quickly and effectively. With a network sensor placed inside the network, the practice was able to detect and respond to the threats that others in the NH-ISAC healthcare community warned them about.

“Perch Security has the threat analysts who can continually monitor the traffic that does not make any sense to the average employee at a small health care office,” Steinbrueck notes. “They can relate quickly and easily with our local managed IT services company to address any issues that may arise. It makes it easier on everyone involved. It reduces my stress level immensely to know that a Perch expert is available when I need them.”

One of the key advantages Steinbrueck says her practice receives from the NH-ISAC and Perch partnership is having access to the valuable threat intelligence that only comes from being an NH-ISAC member. “The threat database that NH-ISAC maintains means a faster awareness in protecting everyone involved,” Steinbrueck says. “We are able to get protections and updates in place quickly to mitigate potentially devastating consequences. Without Perch involved, this just wouldn’t be possible for a small practice.”

Steinbrueck Chiropractic Health Center & NH-ISAC

Steinbrueck Chiropractic Health Center & NH-ISAC

Key Advantages NH-ISAC and Perch Partnership for Small Health Practices

Steinbrueck points to several key advantages for her practice as a customer of Perch through the NH-ISAC partnership. “For any doctor wanting to remain in a single practitioner setting and satisfy the HIPAA, OIG, Medicare and other federal requirements for protecting PHI, this service is a big win,” Steinbrueck says.

1.  Protecting patient information with NH-ISAC intel and trained Perch analysts

2.  Overall cost reduction – avoiding fines and penalties

3.  Preventing security breach, a potentially practice-ending event

“First, protecting patient information requires a high degree of attention to cybersecurity to truly maintain a viable practice,” Steinbrueck explains. With Perch in place, Steinbrueck’s practice now has deeper network visibility and fast response from trained threat analysts to handle any alert that may be generated. “This was something we just couldn’t do at all before Perch. Knowing that Perch’s analysts are watching for any threats and will inform me if they see one is invaluable,” Steinbrueck says.

FOR ANY DOCTOR WANTING TO REMAIN IN A SINGLE PRACTITIONER

SETTING AND SATISFY THE HIPAA, OIG, MEDICARE AND OTHER FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR

PROTECTING PHI, THIS SERVICE IS A BIG WIN.

Lisa Steinbrueck Privacy Compliance Officer

Steinbrueck Chiropractic Health Center

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Steinbrueck Chiropractic Health Center & NH-ISAC

Second, Steinbrueck views the Perch and NH-ISAC partnership as a cost reduction for the practice. “Perch helps us avoid the fines and penalties of not having the proper security measures in place which can run into thousands of dollars,” Steinbrueck says.

Last, Steinbrueck knows the costs of incurring a breach in her organization. “For a small practice, a breach would be devastating,” Steinbrueck says. “We may not be able to survive, unlike larger practices. That’s why we care so much about cybersecurity. Having the threat intelligence from NH-ISAC alongside Perch to detect and respond to those threats helps us gain a far stronger cybersecurity posture than anything we could do on our own.”

TAP/SPAN port

router / switch

firewall

workstations laptopsservers

HERE BE DRAGONS

Perch sensors (virtual or physical) are placed inside the firewall at each egress point

Steinbrueck Chiropractic Health Center & NH-ISAC

Visit NHISAC.org/Perch to sign up for the Perch Security / NH-ISAC Parntership program

National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center is a non-profit, member-driven organization offering healthcare stakeholders a trusted community and forum for sharing vital Cyber Threat Intelligence with each other to create situational awareness, inform risk-based decision-making and mitigate against threats. Membership becomes an extension of your security operations team.

nhisac.org

Founded in 2016 in Tampa, FL, Perch Security was created to meet cybersecurity needs by enabling institutions of any size to detect the threats their sharing community warns them about — without costly equipment or analyst hours. Perch’s goals are to help our customers detect 100% of the threats shared with them, connect them with their best sources of intelligence, and to strengthen sharing communities through increased participation.

PerchSecurity.com