A Successful Story of PKI Implementation in Healthcare

In a healthcare setting, every moment matters, as the data travels securely and smoothly between all devices, doctors, and departments. Behind the scenes, it is not just the effort of healthcare professionals but also the technology used to keep the patients’ sensitive information safe, giving instant access to doctors and staff to make critical lifesaving decisions.

Our client is a leading player in the healthcare industry, known for innovative solutions that make a difference and improve patient care. They offer a wide array of medical services ranging from general practices to specialized care in cancer treatment, cardiovascular diseases, trauma, and pediatrics. They manage the sensitive data of several clients and handle over 8,000 + employees across multiple locations, maintaining a constant interaction channel with various hospitals and clinics. Their goal was to set up a proper Microsoft Public Key Infrastructure, and they sought support for a thorough infrastructure-wide assessment guiding them in taking all the necessary steps to implement the solution.

Challenges

As security threats are evolving and advancing daily, a solution capable of protecting from those threats is essential. Being an organization dealing with crucial information such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), including name, address, email, phone number, or financial information, and Protected Health Information (PHI), like medical records, treatment information, or insurance details daily, protecting this information was necessary.

Sensitive information left unprotected might be compromised, causing major security threats to their infrastructure and disturbing operations. This can also contradict the standard rules and data protection guidelines, resulting in lost consumer trust, finances, and reputational harm. A solution that works well with existing infrastructure to support growth was needed. Thus, data protection is essential to the client’s goal.

As the organization’s activities and client base grew, its framework ran into several issues protecting this information. A scalable, dependable, and automated Public Key Infrastructure became increasingly necessary. They also wanted the PKI system to align with the regulatory standards and provide scalability to grow with their future demands. We discovered a few major challenges after conducting an in-depth evaluation and examining the client’s setting.

It was reported that as the company expanded, the growing network increased the complexity. It took more work to secure their systems because ensuring secure data communication and proper digital identity management took time and effort with each new user and device.

We know that traditional authentication methods, such as usernames and passwords, need to be more secure to meet the security needs of present times. Yet the organization was still using single authentication mechanisms like passwords to provide access to its customers and employees. This left the organization at risk of unauthorized access and credential theft.

It took much work for the company to handle sensitive patient data, including personal details, medical records, and financial information, as there was a lack of proper access control and logging of activities, increasing insider (employees and staff) threats and making it harder to detect malicious insiders. If sensitive information is mishandled, it can be easily misused for fraud, identity theft, and breaches. This can result in losing patients’ trust and the organization’s reputation. This could also disrupt their operations and violate HIPAA regulations, leading to heavy penalties for the organization.

Also, these organizations were found to be using outdated and old systems, which are often incapable of supporting modern security measures, making any data breach easy. Problems arose when integrating these old systems with new systems and technologies, as the old systems were incompatible with the new ones. The outdated software also caused errors, slowed performance, and increased difficulties in following security regulations, putting data security and patient care at risk.

The organization employed several healthcare professionals who worked remotely and frequently accessed patient data, systems, and apps. Another area for improvement was securing this communication line. The inadequate encryption and multi-factor authentication in their organizational structure raised the possibility of unauthorized access or data breaches when accessing the system remotely. Ensuring compliance with regulatory standards like HIPAA across all sites was also difficult.

The organization followed a manual, inconsistent, and disorganized way of certifying by using spreadsheets and email reminders to monitor certificates. Due to this, it took much work to track, renew, and manage certificates. Preventive measures like alerts or warnings to set reminders about upcoming expirations weren’t being used, leading to missed renewals and expired certificates. This process was not just time-consuming but also subject to errors. It was challenging to ensure that everything from timely renewals to secure access ran smoothly.

The current infrastructure also had to follow best practices for data security and encryption and healthcare regulations. Neither a disaster recovery plan nor a business continuity strategy was in place to ensure the system would quickly recover from any disruption, cyberattack, or data compromise.

There was a risk that critical patient information might fall into the hands of attackers since their infrastructure lacked a solid PKI and digital identity management solution. There was always the possibility of unauthorized access to private information. There was a lack of suitable encryption and authentication measures; hence, the healthcare provider remained vulnerable to security breaches.

It was obvious that the firm required a complete solution to strengthen its infrastructure and optimize operations, given its challenges, which included manual certificate administration, growing security concerns, complex networks, compliance issues, and cyber threats. After evaluating it, we decided it was important to establish a PKI that delivers the correct blend of security, scalability, and flexibility to satisfy the organization’s different needs.

Solution

When they contacted us, they wanted a service provider and a partner who could build and implement a secure PKI infrastructure to protect their operations from cyberattacks, unauthorized access, data breaches, and other compliance-related issues.

We began with an in-depth analysis of the client’s environment. Of course, there was a need to acquire detailed knowledge about their present situation to understand where we could contribute. Based on this, we developed an appropriately designed multi-tiered MS PKI solution to overcome such issues and customized it according to their requirements.

We first analyzed their environment to comprehend the client’s needs in terms of hardware fully, the configurations they put up, the goals of the organization, and the challenges they faced during the development and their future requirements. We created a clear project roadmap by gathering and documenting these needs, which included creating thorough plans, assigning detailed tasks, and defining reasonable timeframes.

Then we moved on to the building stage, where we focused not only on the technological infrastructure that would be designed but also on integrating Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) for secure key storage, a centralized certificate lifecycle management platform to automate renewals and alerts, and implementing real-time monitoring tools to detect and address potential issues in the PKI environment. In this phase, we developed documents like Certificate Policy (CP) and Certificate Practice Statement (CPS) based on the organizational requirements, industrial demands, and regulatory standards, defining how their system would function securely and compliantly.

We designed and implemented a dependable and scalable two-tier PKI infrastructure consisting of a secure offline Root CA, which serves as the foundation of trust, and two online subordinate CAs for issuing machine-based and user-based certificates after thoroughly evaluating the client’s infrastructure and determining their needs and main challenges. To protect their cryptographic data, we set up two nShield Connect HSMs in an integrated security framework of the online issuing CAs and deployed nCipher FIPS 140-2 Level 3-certified Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) with a portable Edge HSM for the offline Root CA to guarantee portability and physical security of the sensitive environment.

We improved the security of the PKI system and made device management easier by integrating the Network Device Enrolment Service (NDES) to safely issue certificates to mobile devices managed by the company’s infrastructure. To serve as a reverse proxy for NDES enrollment, we set up a Web Application Proxy (WAP) server in the perimeter network and implemented NDES on the internal corporate network. To guarantee that all communication occurs over secure HTTPS connections, firewall rules were set up to permit only necessary traffic on port 443. To provide effective and safe certificate revocation management, we also put in place an Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) Responder to check the status of certificates in real time.

A key ceremony was held to secure customer trust and compliance with guidelines such as HIPAA and FIPS. To ensure compliance and operational integrity, we conducted the key ceremony securely, created and stored the cryptographic keys within HSMs, and limited access to only authorized persons. All root CA and intermediate CA private keys were safely stored in tamper-proof HSMs.

Our team deployed these crucial components on-site to ensure smooth functioning and integrated them into the client’s current infrastructure. Certificate expiration and renewal were also simplified using a safe and automated key management procedure, greatly reducing the required manual effort. This well-documented procedure established a clear operational framework, allowing customers to maintain their PKI system efficiently while focusing on core activities without fear of compliance violations or manual errors.

Testing was critical to ensure the system was intact and reliable. We tested everything in detail to ensure that every part of the system worked according to plan. All the variations found were corrected immediately, thus ensuring that the system was functioning as planned.

Encryption Consulting addressed all the key challenges and successfully implemented the designed Microsoft PKI to resolve all their problems. After the improved infrastructure, all the operational inefficiencies, access issues, and poor authentication mechanisms were removed, and they were ready for growth and security over the long run. By establishing a sound and scalable PKI system, the organization could also meet demanding security requirements while securing its resources for the future.

With this wide, multi-phased approach, we were able to deliver a reliable, scalable, and compliant PKI infrastructure that addressed the client’s immediate needs while also gearing them up for future success.

Impact

Encryption Consulting addressed all the key challenges and successfully implemented the designed MS PKI infrastructure to resolve all their problems. After the improved infrastructure, they eliminated all the operational inefficiencies, access issues, and poor authentication mechanisms and were ready for growth and security in the long run. By establishing a sound and scalable PKI system, the organization could also meet demanding security requirements while securing its resources for the future.

Automated Certificate Management for mitigating risks and improving efficiency

Actively managing the certificate lifecycle helped mitigate cybersecurity risks and averted disruptions due to misconfigured or expired certificates, ensuring continuous services for patients and staff. Business continuity plans reinforced the organization’s resilience by providing robust protection for swift recovery and uninterrupted operations.

Enhanced Operational Efficiency

The company could redirect time, effort, and human resources from repetitive, manual operations to more worthwhile and strategic activities because of automation. By lowering the requirement for human involvement in standard procedures like certificate administration, the company was able to save time and resource expenditures. Now, the company could concentrate on ideas and projects that were more valuable and promoted innovation and growth.

Simplified Complexity with Scalable Operations

The new architecture allowed the customer to add devices and applications without replacing an entire system. It also resolved compatibility issues between older systems and current technology, allowing integration in all contexts. In turn, the client could expand their business securely, meeting the norms of the industry.

Compliance-Ready Infrastructure

The improved compliance with HIPAA, FIPS, and similar requirements enhanced the organization’s reputation. PKI and HSM solutions helped develop business continuity and disaster recovery strategies to prepare the healthcare provider for any sudden interruption. The firm remained compliant and continued its services even during emergencies because it had a good backup strategy and could easily restore operations, greatly reducing risks.

Strengthened Security

The new PKI system added a strong layer of protection to their digital environment. The risk of unauthorized access and data breaches was reduced because all communications and sensitive data were securely encrypted and authenticated. As a result, the company was able to grow without compromising the security of patient data.

The organization unlocked some significant impacts, but our services continued. We gave our client a proper maintenance plan that included frequent updates, key rotations, and proactive monitoring tools to identify vulnerabilities and resolve issues, ensuring the reliability and durability of their PKI system. We have also provided them with a centralized certificate management solution (CertSecure Manager) and best practices to speed up renewals and guarantee compliance with expanding regulatory standards.

Conclusion

The healthcare provider was able to improve their services without losing the trust of stakeholders and customers by implementing our comprehensive PKI, which also allowed them to build an effective security framework and increase its scalability. They gained a competitive edge in the market in addition to compliance, enabling them to concentrate on providing their patients with high-quality care and ensuring trust in their digital services for the future.

A solid PKI infrastructure might be the answer if you want to improve data security, optimize your public key infrastructure, and guarantee compliance with evolving regulations. Let’s talk about how we can assist you in putting in place a PKI system that is customized to your requirements!