Has the COVID-19 pandemic spared any part of operations for healthcare facilities? From retrofits of entryways and workspaces to upgrades of air filtration and visitor management, the impact has been wide and deep. One key element of operations that too often goes overlooked – until a crisis strikes – is the supply chain that is intimately involved in each of these operations, including cybersecurity

When a supply chain makes headlines, it usually isn’t good news. Hospitals and health systems scrambled to find new sources of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies as COVID-19 unearthed critical shortages. Besides rationing mission-critical supplies and sourcing from unvetted vendors, managers also began contending with another nefarious challenge — hackers trying to infiltrate via the supply chain, according to Supply and Demand Chain Executive.

Healthcare supply chains too often do not meet key national cybersecurity standards, according to recent research. To illustrate the severity of the problem, the FBI issued three alerts earlier this year about increased attacks on the supply chain, which penetrated hospital network systems across the globe “through vendor software supply chain and hardware products.”

Healthcare providers rely on large, complex supply chains with layers of contractors and subcontractors. This arrangement requires another layer of oversight where healthcare institutions also must closely monitor the security posture of their supply chain partners. With this type of access, supply chain vendors are perfect targets for hackers.

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