The demands on the network in a modern hospital are extremely high and complex. The network consists of IT and medical infrastructure. While the main focus is on protecting patient data, network access should still offer flexibility: Patients want to surf the Internet, while medical staff need flexible data access for efficient treatment. With the Network Access Control solution from United Security Providers (USP), the NSN medical Group has managed the balancing act between the desired level of security and user-friendliness.
Maintaining network security is one of the most important IT concerns for companies in the healthcare segment. The NSN medical Group knows this too, as it has to ensure this for 9 companies at 14 locations – including two listed hospitals. Medical staff need round-the-clock access to up-to-date health information in order to provide competent treatment.
As soon as their state of health allows, inpatients are looking to reconnect to the digital world and want to use information and entertainment services, surf the internet or chat. Even special medical devices such as computer tomographs only develop their full range of functions when they are connected to the network.
Recognize needs and act in a solution-oriented manner
The hospital group recognized the new challenges and decided to adapt its network to the changed requirements. The future network was to offer IT the flexibility to provide the various stakeholders with adequate network access. Effective protection of patient data also had to remain a top priority in the future.
Operation Network Security
The network was modernized in two stages. In the course of resegmenting the network, different network zones were first created. Applications with sensitive patient data were logically separated from applications that are accessible via the Internet, for example. In addition, further network segments were created with a guest V-LAN. The new, sophisticated zone concept only brings the expected benefits if devices newly connected to the network are already assigned to the correct network segment at the access point. The basis for this was created as part of the second sub-project, with the implementation of a modern network access control solution.
USP Network Authentication System®
Together with NIOS, NSN medical AG opted for the Network Access Control solution from United Security Providers. The USP Network Authentication System® detects new devices connected to the network and decides on their access authorization based on their authentication features. Only known and policy-compliant employee devices are granted access to productive network areas. Patients or guests can register with their mobile devices and then have access to the Internet. Following a test phase, the solution was initially rolled out in smaller locations and then gradually extended to larger sites, such as the Paracelsus Hospital in Richterswil and the Limmat Clinic in Zurich.
Advantages also in IT Operations
The flexibility of the structure design and the advanced degree of automation bring many advantages in the operation of the solution. From a technical point of view, the automatic V-LAN management, the existing security and the flexibility are of particular interest. The virtual appliance offers the option of identifying company-owned devices. This identification is stored by the central system and recognized no matter where the device connects to the network. Assignment to the defined network segment is automatic and very efficient. This enables versatile use of the hardware infrastructure with a very high level of security at the same time.
A medical device that was previously connected to switch 4 in the main building and is now to be moved to switch 7 in the annex can be moved very easily. Once plugged into the new location, the medical device automatically has the correct provisioning and is ready for use. The medical devices that are indispensable for hospital operations are therefore always ready for use – and have the optimum device-specific network configuration at all times. Thanks to the high level of automation in the network, employees gain in eficiency, operation is simpler and leaner than in classic networks, which saves IT costs. Also extremely important: the certainty that unregistered devices can no longer logically connect to the hospital infrastructure is simply reassuring and corresponds to the current standard.
Conclusion
Thanks to network segmentation in combination with network access control via the USP Network Authentication System®, NSN medical AG and all subsidiaries have maximum flexibility and security in the network. This means that the Group is equipped for the times when the clocks are ticking even faster – and when nursing staff use smartphones and tablets for their work in addition to scalpels and stethoscopes.
Further information about our partner NIOS AG can be found on the website https://nios.ch/
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