Rx for Cyber Threats

In the fast-paced and high-stakes world of healthcare, IT professionals are on the front lines of a constant battle against cyber threats. When a cyberattack strikes, every second of downtime counts. Patient care, sensitive data, and the very reputation of your organization hang in the balance.

While most healthcare organizations have some form of disaster recovery plan, a recent GigaOm report, “Minimum Viable Recovery: Closing the Recovery Gap,” reveals a startling statistic: 54% of organizations lack confidence in their own recovery plans. This “recovery gap” between desired outcomes and actual capabilities is a serious concern, especially in a sector where the consequences of failure are measured in more than just dollars and cents.

The report, commissioned by Commvault, introduces a new approach to cyber resilience: minimum viable recovery (MVR). This business-led strategy is designed to close the recovery gap by prioritizing what matters most, enabling a faster, more efficient, and more reliable recovery when disaster strikes.

The Recovery Gap in Healthcare: When Downtime is a Flatline

In healthcare, downtime isn’t just an inconvenience; it can be a life-or-death situation. Imagine a ransomware attack that cripples your electronic health record (EHR) system. Suddenly, clinicians can’t access patient histories, medication records, or treatment plans. Surgeries are postponed, appointments are canceled, and the entire continuum of care is disrupted.

Traditional, technology-led recovery plans often fail to account for these critical business-level priorities. They can be slow and cumbersome, and may have limited availability for a clean recovery. This is where the concept of minimum viability becomes a game-changer for healthcare.

Minimum Viable Recovery: A Smarter, Faster Path to Resilience

The report shows that MVR is a strategic, business-first approach that focuses on restoring essential services and functions in a prioritized manner. Instead of trying to bring everything back online at once, MVR identifies the bare essentials needed to keep the organization running and delivering patient care.

The GigaOm report outlines three pillars of a successful MVR implementation:

• Business-critical prioritization: This involves identifying and quantifying essential business functions, and mapping these to technical dependencies. For a healthcare organization, this means identifying which clinical and administrative systems are most critical. Is it the EHR system? The pharmacy management software? The patient admission and discharge system? By having these priorities defined before an attack, you enable a more streamlined and effective recovery process.
• Measurable technical response: An MVR strategy requires IT and business leaders to work together to create automatable recovery workflows focused on business impact. In a healthcare context, this means that the IT team understands that restoring access to patient data for the emergency department takes precedence over, for example, bringing the billing system back online. This alignment is crucial for minimizing the impact of an attack on patient care.
• Organizational recovery readiness: MVR isn’t just about surviving an attack; it’s about thriving in an increasingly hostile digital landscape. Address skills gaps, define governance and responsibilities before an attack. By implementing a robust MVR strategy, healthcare organizations can mitigate their recovery risk.

Commvault: Your Partner in Minimum Viable Recovery

At Commvault, we understand the unique challenges facing healthcare IT. Our solutions are designed to help you implement an effective minimum viability strategy and close the recovery gap.

Don’t wait for a crisis to expose the weaknesses in your recovery plan. Embrace an MVR strategy and build a more resilient future for your organization and your patients.

Read the full report today, and reach out to a Commvault representative when you’re ready to talk minimum viability.