When it comes to protecting your Veterinary hospital’s network, the first thing that comes to mind is the specific tools used to keep you safe – perhaps you think about antivirus software, phishing-prevention tools, or backup solutions to restore functionality in the event of a breach. While each of these tools is important, there is an underlying structure that is even more vital to understand – your cybersecurity framework.
What is a Cybersecurity Framework?
A cybersecurity framework is a set of guidelines and processes that help cyber-defense teams lay out their approach to keeping networks safe, independent of the specific tools in use. This is crucial because cybercriminals are constantly looking for novel ways to penetrate networks and endpoints, meaning tools that are top tier today may be riddled with vulnerabilities tomorrow.
With a systematic approach to security that includes constant monitoring and improvement, a cyber-defense team can stay ahead of criminals. When selecting an IT company or cybersecurity team to keep your Veterinary hospital safe, it is imperative that you don’t just ask about the specific tools they use to protect you. Instead, ask them to explain the framework they follow and the methodology behind it.
Examples of Cybersecurity Frameworks
There are several different frameworks, and no single framework is the “best” for all circumstances. The right framework must be paired with the right defense team and the right protected network. Some frameworks are very specific, such as PCI compliance frameworks for credit card processing. Others are broader, including CIS Controls and NIST.
Let’s look a bit closer at the NIST framework, as an example. NIST is supported by five pillars, each covering a segment of the cybercrime cycle. These are divided into two broad categories: Pre-Incident (before an attack happens) and post-incident (after an attack happens). The pillars include:
- Identify – A pre-incident step whereby your cybersecurity team documents every component of your network. This includes endpoints, software, patching policies, network equipment, and potential vulnerabilities. Remember: You can’t protect what you don’t understand.
- Protect – A pre-incident process where defenses are put in place. These include antivirus, spam and phishing filtering, endpoint detection and response, firewalls and switches, DNS filtering, and two-factor authentication.
- Detect – A post-incident process where your cybersecurity team uses tools to quickly identify when an attack is occurring. This may include endpoint detection and response, dark web monitoring, cloud response, and oversight by a 24/7 Security Operations Center. Remember: You can’t respond to threats you don’t detect!
- Respond – A post-incident process where your cybersecurity team takes action against threats. For example, endpoint detection and response tools can isolate or quarantine impacted devices, while your support team acts within contractually defined Service Level Agreement timeframes to stop the attack.
- Recover – A post-incident process where you are restored after an attack. If data is lost, tools like physical Backup Continuity and Disaster Recovery devices can restore server data and functionality, while Cloud Continuity and SaaS Protect tools can help restore cloud data, access, and emails.
What Questions Should I Ask My IT Team?
Low-budget IT teams often cut corners on defenses, relying on specific tools as their only protection. When those tools are no longer effective, they may lack the mechanisms to recognize the vulnerability or replace the failing tool. Running a Veterinary hospital is expensive, and cutting corners on cybersecurity might feel like a budget-conscious decision. But can your practice afford a hefty ransomware price tag? Or to be closed, without access to client data, for multiple days? This is the risk you run when you under-invest in cybersecurity.
When evaluating cybersecurity for your Veterinary practice, bring these questions to your IT provider and make sure they have robust, specific answers:
- What type of cybersecurity framework do you follow?
- Appropriate answers include naming specific frameworks or walking you through their methodology. Responses should emphasize actions rather than tools and should include multi-layered protections.
- What is your patch/update policy?
- Patching should be scheduled regularly in alignment with updates from Microsoft, Dell, Apple, or whichever vendor supports your operating system infrastructure. Ideally, there should be a testing mechanism in place so your cybersecurity team vets patches before deploying them to your network.
- What protections do you put in place to keep my data safe?
- Your cybersecurity team should describe a multi-layered defense strategy using multiple tools. Think of each tool as a slice of Swiss cheese—it has holes (vulnerabilities) that attackers can exploit. But stack enough slices together, and you build a solid wall of defense.
- What SLAs (Service Level Agreements) does your support team follow?
- You should have a contractual SLA with your IT company that sets clear guidelines for first response and resolution times. Without this, you have no way of holding your IT team accountable for swift, accurate responses.
- What are my recovery objectives?
- There are two Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) your IT team should support: Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and Recovery Time Objective (RTO). RPO refers to how recent your last backup is, or how much data you might lose if you must roll back to a previous version. An RPO of one hour is the gold standard. RTO refers to the time between the attack and when recovery begins. Detection and response must occur before recovery, but a timeframe of a few hours at most is generally appropriate.
Ultimately, cybersecurity for your Veterinary hospital isn’t about the latest tool or flashy product – it’s about having a strong, proactive framework backed by a team you can trust. By asking the right questions about frameworks, patching policies, layered defenses, SLAs, and recovery objectives, you ensure your practice isn’t left vulnerable to costly downtime or devastating data loss. Take the time now to review your IT team’s approach, and if their answers aren’t clear and confident, it’s time to find a partner who can provide the protection your practice – and your patients – deserve.
To learn more about how the author, William Lindus, and I.T. Guru can help provide your Veterinary practice with safe, secure, and stable technology and cybersecurity environments, book a free consultation today!