Month: August 2024

In May 2024, Australian eScript provider MediSecure confirmed that they had fallen victim to a sophisticated ransomware attack in 2023. The extent is alarming, as it involved:

• 6.5 terabytes of data
• Personal data belonging to 12.9 million Australians
• Full names, contact information, dates of birth, addresses, Medicare numbers, and prescription records

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it a “very significant cyber event.” This highlights the vulnerability of sensitive health information. The attack also underscores the urgent need to enhance cyber security in healthcare, including establishing a robust data backup strategy.

The Importance of Cloud Backups

Cloud backup solutions are a vital part of a comprehensive cyber security strategy, helping organisations like MediSecure mitigate the risks and impacts of cyber attacks.

Not only that but reliable access to quality data can also significantly improve healthcare delivery. The Australian Digital Health Agency stresses the importance of secure and reliable access to patient data with 80% of health consumers expecting innovative digital technologies to improve their healthcare experience.

Yet, some practices still rely on local servers or physical backups, which are more vulnerable to data loss from unforeseen events. Microsoft users might also think that Microsoft 365 built-in backup features are protecting them all the way which is far from the reality as we outline it in our article, Why Microsoft 365’s Built-in Backup Isn’t Enough.

Cloud backups have become the norm for good reasons. Let’s dive into some of those.

Reason 1: Improved Patient Care

“Good collection and use of health data leads to better health care,” affirms the Department of Health and Aged Care. The quality of patient care is strongly impacted when, for example, a doctor cannot access a patient’s complete medical history due to a local server issue.

While healthcare providers still need on-premise servers for their on-premise workload such as their critical line of business apps,an effective backup strategy combines cloud and on-premise backups solutions.

Safeguarding data in the cloud eliminates this risk of wasting precious time in diagnosing and treating patients. By ensuring secure, 24/7 access to patient records from any location with an internet connection, healthcare professionals can provide seamless care, regardless of location or unforeseen events. This improved accessibility translates to faster diagnoses, more efficient treatment plans, and ultimately, better patient outcomes.

Reason 2: Faster Recovery & Less Downtime

Even the most robust IT system cannot stop power outages, natural disasters, cyberattacks, or unexpected events like the CrowdStrike incident from happening. Imagine if a cyclone knocks out power and damages your practice’s servers. How can you access patient records and resume operations?

Downtime in healthcare can have a serious impact on patient well-being and drain your finances. Any healthcare organisation should aim to minimise disruption, especially because downtime can cost thousands per minute. The longer your downtime, the higher the cost.

Cloud backups are an investment in delivering uninterrupted care to your patients. Because your data is stored off-site, you can be back up and running quickly.

In its guide for healthcare providers, the Australian Government itself reminds that “having a recent backup of your data will help you to recover more quickly” in case of an unexpected event, and advocates for offsite backup solutions as well.

Reason 3: Enhanced Compliance with Privacy Act & My Health Records

The World Economic Forum (WEF) urges: “stringent rules and regulations must be put in place to secure sensitive patient data.” Strict adherence with those regulations must therefore be the goal for the healthcare sector.

Cloud backups can be a powerful ally in this fight for compliance with regulations like the Privacy Act (1988) and My Health Record system. Here’s how:

• Data Security: Australian Privacy Principle (APP) 11 in the Privacy Act mandates healthcare organisations to take reasonable steps to protect patient data from unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. Cloud backups achieve this by employing encryption technologies, rendering patient information unreadable in the event of a breach.
• Access Controls: APP 1.3 of the Act also requires organisations to implement controls over access to personal information. Cloud backups offer granular access controls, ensuring only authorised personnel can view or modify patient data.
• My Health Record: The My Health Record system facilitates secure sharing of patient information between healthcare providers. Cloud backups, with their inherent data security features, seamlessly integrate with My Health Record. This ensures that patients’ sensitive information remains protected throughout the sharing process.

By aligning with these critical provisions, cloud backups empower healthcare professionals to deliver quality care with confidence, knowing their patients’ data is safe and secure. To learn more about compliance, read our article about How IT Services Can Help with Compliance in Your Medical Practice.

Reason 4: Seamless Scalability & Optimal Cost Efficiency

Cloud backups are a smarter solution that will not break the bank for healthcare practices. Traditional on-site servers can become a bottleneck as your practice grows. Upgrading often requires expensive new hardware, which can lead to compatibility issues and downtime.

But cloud storage is inherently scalable. As your data needs increase, your cloud storage can be adjusted. Upfront investments in expensive servers or constant hardware upgrades are not required.

Cloud backups are a cost-effective alternative to in-house servers. Overall, McKinsey & Company found that cloud adoption can cut IT expenses from 30% to 40%.

The Best Time for Cloud Backup Solutions

As healthcare providers, it is crucial to recognise your obligations in safeguarding patient data. Implementing a robust data backup strategy is not just a best practice but a necessity to ensure the continuity of care and compliance with regulations. The recent ransomware attack on MediSecure serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities your industry faces. By adopting cloud backup solutions, you can protect sensitive information, enhance patient care, and ensure rapid recovery from unforeseen events.

At ADITS, we are committed to helping you develop a comprehensive backup strategy tailored to your unique environment. Secure your data, protect your patients, and ensure your practice’s resilience. Contact us today to learn more about our backup services and how we can support your journey towards enhanced data security.

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The importance of data backup cannot be overstated. Ask yourself what would become of your business if you were to lose critical information?

Not only do accidental deletions, hardware failures, or cyberattacks result in business disruption, but they can also damage your reputation, and lead to unexpected financial costs. In Australia alone, the average cost of a data breach has increased by 32% in the last five years.

If you’re enjoying the benefits of Microsoft 365, you might think your business is safe thanks to the built-in backup feature. Unfortunately, even the tech giant acknowledges that it cannot guarantee the security of data stored in its cloud services.

Moreover, there are known vulnerabilities and emerging threats specifically targeting Microsoft SharePoint, a widely used component of Microsoft 365. Recent reports have highlighted security flaws in SharePoint that are being actively exploited by malicious actors, posing significant risks to organisations relying on this platform.

These limitations underscore the need for robust, multi-layered backup solutions that go beyond the built-in options provided by Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365’s Built-In Backup Features Work

Microsoft 365’s backup features can work with small, individual files. They’re better suited for short-term recovery needs, such as accidental deletions or edits of a project or document. This means that while Microsoft ensures that it won’t lose your data, it does not make any guarantees about restoring data if you do. Let’s dive into some of these backup features.

File History

This enables you to back up specific folders on your local device and allows you to restore previous versions of files in case of accidental deletion or modifications.

However, File History only protects what’s in designated folders on your local device. It doesn’t cover your entire Microsoft 365 environment, which might include emails, shared documents, or data from other applications.

It also has limited functionality. It does not create system image backups for a full system restore, which is crucial for recovering from major system crashes.

Moreover, backups are stored on your local device, which can fill up quickly and become vulnerable if your device suffers a hardware failure. If your local drive fails, you lose both your original data and the backup.

OneDrive Versioning

This feature keeps track of previous versions of files stored in your OneDrive account. It’s useful for reverting to an earlier document draft. However, version history only goes back a certain period, as defined by Microsoft. If you need to recover a file from months ago, this feature won’t be able to help.

There are also security concerns. Microsoft emphasises data protection within their cloud storage, but a successful breach or sophisticated ransomware attack could still compromise your OneDrive backups. Keep in mind that cloud security is a shared responsibility, according to Microsoft – you will always be responsible for your data, endpoints, account, and access management.

Retention Policies

Retention policies can automatically archive or delete older data based on set rules, but they are not true backup solutions. They don’t create a separate copy of your data, and deleted items might be permanently unrecoverable after a specific timeframe. Accidental deletions or data breaches could still result in permanent data loss.

Litigation Hold

This helps preserve emails, even deleted ones, for a set period. It temporarily safeguards specific user mailboxes or data sets during legal proceedings.

Recycle Bins

Recycle bins are not really meant for backups but can be a safety net for recently deleted emails, documents, and other files. You can recover items accidentally trashed, but only within a specific timeframe (typically 30 to 90 days).

Explore Beyond Microsoft 365 Backup Features

An independent, third-party, backup solution is the best way to protection organisations against the most common data loss pitfalls and Microsoft’s limited native recovery capabilities.

Here are our thoughts on why we think a combined effort is the way to go.

• Flexible retention: Third-party backup solutions often provide significantly longer retention periods compared to Microsoft 365’s built-in options. This means you can keep your data for years, ensuring that you have access to historical information whenever needed. This is particularly important for businesses that need to comply with long-term data retention policies.
• Granular recovery: One of the standout features of third-party backup solutions is the ability to perform granular recovery. This means you can restore specific items, such as individual emails, files, or even specific versions of documents, without having to recover entire mailboxes or sites. This level of precision can save time and reduce disruption during the recovery process.
• Automatic and Continuous: Backups run automatically and continuously. You don’t need to remember to manually back up your data because automatic backups are scheduled at regular intervals to ensure continuous protection. Some solutions can capture changes to your data as they happen, so you’re always covered, even for accidental deletions or edits made just moments before.
• Enhanced Security: Cloud backup providers offer advanced security features.
  • Encryption: Data is encrypted both in transit (between your devices and the cloud) and at rest (within the cloud) using industry-standard encryption protocols.
  • Access Controls: You can define who can access your backups and what level of access they have, ensuring only authorised users can view or restore data.
  • Additional Features: Cloud backup solutions may offer features like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and anomaly detection for further security enhancements.
• Attuned with 3-2-1: A cloud-based backup aligns with the 3-2-1 backup rule. This helps optimise data security, with 3 copies of your data on 2 different media types, with at least 1 offsite or cloud copy.

Embrace a Proactive Approach to Your Backup Strategy

Data security is a cornerstone of business resilience. It is important to understand the criticality of your data to find the backup solution adapted to your needs.

Don’t wait for a data loss incident to realise the gaps in your current backup strategy. Take proactive steps now to safeguard your business’s most valuable asset—its data. Investing in a robust, multi-layered backup solution is not just a precaution; it’s a strategic move that ensures business continuity and peace of mind.

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