Securing the Corporate WLAN in a Healthcare Regulated Organization

Wireless networks are a crucial component in the technology infrastructures of modern medical practices and have become an enabler of patient services in the healthcare industry. Healthcare organizations deploy wireless diagnostic devices to provide critical information at the point of care. These devices provide data to medical decision-makers in real time to improve patient outcomes. One of the challenges of integrating these new devices and services into the wireless networks of medical practices is wireless network security. Wireless networks have inherent risks, ranging from data leakage to availability issues in the event of a DoS (Denial of Service) attack or outage. It is critical to secure a patient's personal information termed electronic protected healthcare information (ePHI) at all times. Protecting ePHI is a primary goal in designing wireless networks for a healthcare-focused organization. Wireless implementations must be designed to protect patient health information from breach or theft, while at the same time providing needed services to patients and clients. The primary goal of this research project was to provide a healthcare-focused consulting organization with a secure and compliant wireless network. The network is to enable employee collaboration, facilitate client engagement, and accomplish the primary security goal of protecting the company's ePHI.