By Engineer Olusola Omotunde

The advent of cloud technology can be traced back to the 1960s according to https://www.cloudzero.com/blog/history-of-the-cloud/.

Cloud technology has evolved from a myth to a revolution in the global space.

In fact, it forms one of the best ways to secure data and save organizational funds.

A drift from the era of physical data centers has become the norm.

Another pertinent point would be, the security of organizational data.

In this paper, we will provide a synopsis of cloud security and its role in healthcare cybersecurity.

The healthcare industry is one of the most critical aspects of any nation. How safe are patient’s data? What are the mitigating factors? How regularly does the IT team carry out an assessment of the security in place? In all of these, cloud security comes into play.

Cloud security is critical in healthcare cybersecurity because it provides the tools, processes, and policies required to protect sensitive patient data and assure regulatory compliance in an increasingly digital environment. Healthcare organizations that use cloud services for electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, patient portals, and other services face specific cybersecurity challenges, such as protecting huge amounts of personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI).

Below are some aspects where cloud security contributes or plays pivotal roles in healthcare cybersecurity:

1. Data Protection

• Data Backup and Recovery: Cloud solutions provide backup and disaster recovery capabilities, which assist healthcare organizations in protecting data from loss due to cyberattacks or system failures.

• Encryption: Cloud providers provide sophisticated encryption options for data at rest and in transit. This is critical for healthcare providers to safeguard sensitive patient information from unauthorized access.

2. Prevention and Detection of Threat

• Real-time Monitoring and Alerts: Cloud security solutions can provide 24-hour monitoring and notifications if suspicious behaviour is discovered. This quick response capability is crucial for healthcare organizations to avoid or mitigate the effects of cyber events.

• Advanced Threat Protection: Cloud providers provide services that include threat detection features like intrusion detection, malware scanning, and vulnerability assessments. These services assist healthcare organizations in identifying and addressing hazards before they cause harm.

• Automated Patch Management: Cloud providers frequently handle patch management for their infrastructure, ensuring that systems are up to date against the most recent vulnerabilities, which can dramatically minimize the risk of attack.

  3.  Flexibility and Scalability

• Scalable Security: As healthcare organizations expand, cloud security can scale with them, allowing for the installation of additional security measures without requiring major infrastructure upgrades.

• Adaptable Infrastructure: Healthcare organizations can quickly respond to emerging threats with cloud-based solutions that include updated security tools and services. This adaptability is critical in a dynamic threat context.

4. Cost Efficiency

• Pay-as-you-go Model: Many cloud services use a pay-as-you-go model, which allows healthcare providers to only pay for the security services they use. This can help organizations manage costs while still providing high-quality security tools.

• Reduced IT Costs: Cloud providers manage and maintain the infrastructure, eliminating the need for healthcare companies to invest heavily in on-premises security hardware and personnel.

5. Regulatory Compliance

• HIPAA and GDPR Compliance: Cloud providers that service healthcare organizations frequently offer solutions designed to comply with industry-specific standards such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.

• Audit Support: Many cloud services provide logging and monitoring capabilities to assist healthcare organizations in tracking and auditing data access and usage, which is critical for regulatory compliance.

Key Considerations for Healthcare Providers across the globe

When healthcare providers deploy cloud solutions, they must address a number of security concerns to safeguard sensitive patient data, ensure regulatory compliance, and manage possible risks. It is also important that they scrutinize the security certificates held by cloud providers, ensure that they clarify ownership rights to their data with their cloud providers, training staff on the security best practices which include training on data handling, phishing awareness and secure access protocol.

There is no one-size fits all rule other than being careful!

Engineer Olusola Omotunde is an IT expert and writes from Lagos, Nigeria

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) says it is organising a compliance summit for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Compliance Officers to address Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and related issues.

The Director-General of SEC, Dr Emomotimi Agama, said this in a statement made available on Saturday in Lagos.

He said that the summit, with the theme, “Navigating regulatory challenges: Aligning with changes in FATF in the era of VASPS,” would be in Lagos on Oct.

According to him, SEC aims to equip capital market operators with the necessary tools and knowledge to thrive in a complex regulatory environment.

Agama said that the Nigerian Capital Market Institute (NCMI), a subsidiary of SEC, would hold the summit.

He noted that the summit would ultimately foster a culture of compliance and integrity in the operations of the participants.

“The aim is to equip capital market operators with essential insights and strategies to effectively navigate the evolving regulatory landscape.

“Attendees are to gain knowledge of understanding regulatory changes, clarity on the latest updates to FATF standards and how these impact Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).

“They will also learn best practices for aligning their compliance programmes with new regulations, ensuring they meet international standards that enhance compliance frameworks in their organisations,” he said.

According to him, key objectives of the summit are regulatory compliance, understanding and implementing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) regulations.

Others, he added, would include risk management, which encompasses identify, assess and mitigate risks associated with virtual assets and operational efficiency which would lead to enhanced internal controls, governance and compliance frameworks.

The director-general mentioned that the benefits of the summit include regulatory clarity, risk reduction, enhanced governance,  competitive advantage and networking opportunities.

The welcome address at the summit is expected to be presented by Ms Frana Chukwuogor, Executive Commissioner, Legal and Enforcement, SEC Nigeria.

The opening remarks and overview of the summit will be delivered by Dr Agama while Ms Hafsat Bakari, Director, Nigeria Fraud Intelligence Unit(NFIU) will present a goodwill message.

Among the speakers expected at the event are, Mr Obinna Iwuno, Chairman, Stakeholders in BlockChain Association of Nigeria (SiBAN) and Certified Cryptocurrency Compliance Specialist and Investigator, Mr Ade Bajomo.

Also, Mr Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), President, Fintech Association in Nigeria, Mr Peter Shodipo, and the President, Committee of Chief Compliance Officers of Capital Market Operators in Nigeria (CCCOCIN) among others.(NAN)

To end the week, the stock market rebounded from previous losses, gaining N74 billion.

Investor interest in MTN Nigeria, FBN Holdings, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) and other equities lifted the market.

Notably, the market capitalisation opened at N56.014 trillion, adding N74 billion or 0.

The All-Share Index also advanced by 0.

As a result, the Year-To-Date (YTD) return increased by 30.54 per cent.

The market breadth closed positive, with 31 gainers and 19 losers on the floor of the Exchange.

On the gainers’ chart, Consolidated Hallmark Plc and Sterling Nigeria led by 9.

Mecure followed by 9.19 per cent to close at N10.10, Regency Alliance Insurance gained 9.09 per cent to close at 72k, while Fidson Healthcare Plc increased by 8.24 per cent to close at N15.10 per share.

Conversely, Deap Capital Management and Trust led the losers’ chart by 9.93 per cent to close at N1.36, NEM Insurance trailed by 9.71 per cent to close at N7.90 per share.

Daar Communications also lost 9.52 per cent to close at 57k, Tantalizers shed 9.09 per cent to close at 60k, while Dangote Sugar declined by 3.31 per cent to close at N31 per share.

Analysis of the market activities showed trade turnover settled higher relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions up by 20.33 per cent.

A total of 304.43 million shares valued at N5.60 billion were exchanged in 6,950 deals, compared with 277.75 million shares valued at N4.65 billon in 7,091 deals traded in the previous session.

Meanwhile, Access Corporation led the activity chart in volume and value with 68.26 million shares valued at N1.34 billon.(NAN)