Episode 4: Cloud-Powered Health Care: Embracing Innovation and Security

Episode Summary

Is customer data secure and working for all parties? This is the question, whether realized or not, that every healthcare organization should be asking.

Cloud presents businesses in the healthcare space with unique opportunities, but also significant challenges. Back in the early 2010s, most businesses were concerned with acquiring and storing data — not securing it. In the wake of Amazon Web Services (AWS), early success came with competitors including Microsoft Azure, Oracle, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The goal? To capitalize on the prospect of ultra-cheap data storage for organizations across the globe.

But security is now a top priority for businesses that recognize data is only valuable if it’s secure. As the pace of innovation quickens, industries from fintech to healthcare are wondering if they’re equipped to effectively deal with compliance. This applies to both the cloud and on-prem infrastructure — which have different capabilities, resources, and use cases but the same cybersecurity concerns. 

Cloud providers are no strangers to these concerns, either. They know the implications of increasing business migration from on-prem to cloud-based infrastructure: more data to protect and secure in a precarious cyber landscape. For the healthcare industry, this means balancing the value of holding protected health information (PHI) — with the growing usage of platforms like Epic and Cerner — against potential business risks and liabilities. 

The most critical thing providers can do is educate customers as much as possible on the issue, not just by filling out spreadsheet forms and questionnaires, but by having candid conversations. Prioritizing the human element and contextualizing these discussions within the ultimate mission to provide quality customer care is what will truly drive success.

Featured on the Episode

Name: Ali Allage

What he does: As CEO of BlueSteel Cybersecurity, Ali consults with companies on their cybersecurity postures, helping run compliance programs and supporting partners to better face and navigate the challenges of the modern cyber landscape.

Organization: BlueSteel Cybersecurity

Words of wisdom: “Being secure in the cloud doesn't mean that you're more secure on-prem: It just means that you have more of a focus on ensuring that your open ports [and] environment are completely locked down and making sure that access control … is thoroughly thought through.”

Connect: LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter | Ali’s website

 

Name: Eric Thorsen

What he does: As CEO of ThorTech Solutions, a software architecture and IT automation consulting business, Eric’s expertise lies in a range of technological applications including fintech and healthcare. ThorTech was early to the cloud computing game with involvement in election polling processes.

Organization: ThorTech Solutions

Words of wisdom: “AWS spent $8 billion dolla