Why online Exposure Matters for Healthcare Practices

Many cyber incidents begin with systems that are accessible from the internet.

Healthcare practices rely on online systems for scheduling, prescriptions, and patient portals. When these systems have components that are unintentionally exposed or improperly configured, the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data increases.

PwC Canada highlights that healthcare organizations of all sizes are frequent targets of cyber incidents, in part because they handle Personal Health Information (PHI).

Reviewing what is accessible from outside your organization helps ensure that only intended systems are accessible and properly configured.

What is an external exposure assessment?

An External Exposure Assessment (EEA) reviews what parts of your organization are accessible from the internet.

This includes systems such as patient portals, scheduling tools, vendor-managed services, and other online access points.

The goal is to identify these systems, determine if they are unintentionally exposed or improperly configured, and provide clear guidance on how to fix it.

This process does not involve exploiting any systems or disrupting daily operations. It focuses on identification, verification, and risk reduction.