Healthcare company strengthens security posture health with Prisma Access Browser

SUMMARY

A leading digital healthcare company offers round-the-clock online health services to millions of patients, connecting them with a network of independent clinicians across the U.S. who use unmanaged devices. Ensuring secure access to the company’s apps and web services is crucial for its healthcare workers, a population that includes both employees and contractors working onsite and remotely. Because these apps and services contain highly sensitive healthcare data, which is subject to HIPAA, the company also needed to ensure compliance with healthcare regulatory requirements.

Initially, the company prioritized modernizing its approach to better protecting data accessed by 600+ remote healthcare support personnel. But, once the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) began evaluating potential solutions, he realized the company had an opportunity to improve security for all device types, whether managed or unmanaged.

RESULTS

Reduced risk

Ability to quickly comply with six regulatory bodies with Prisma Access Browser

Fast and secure access

Browser-based security is intuitive and easy to use.

79%

Lower costs compared to alternate evaluated VDI solutions

challenges

Reduce risk, strengthen security and compliance.

Securely extend critical apps and web services to doctors in the field.
Mitigate risks associated with unmanaged personal devices.
Strengthen security measures, such as 2FA, to enhance overall security posture.
Solve for high latency in their VDI solution, enabling faster access for healthcare personnel.

“With Prisma Access Browser, we’ve enabled seamless, secure access to patient data on any device without compromising compliance or usability. It’s a game changer for productivity, security and HIPAA compliance in our healthcare environment.”

Chief Information Security Officer,

Digital Healthcare Company

SOLUTION

Fortifying security with Prisma Access Browser.

The company evaluated several solutions: using Desktop as a Service (DaaS) or providing doctors with corporate devices. Yet most solutions evaluated proved to be high in cost and complexity—such as shipping corporate devices to doctors— or lacked the performance necessary—such as overly high latency when using VDI. In the end, Prisma Access Browser stood out for its ability to embed rich security functionality directly into the browser and the overall simplicity of the solution. This granted the company’s IT and security teams extensive visibility and granular controls at a fraction of the cost of other options.

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Browser reduces personal device risk by verifying each endpoint’s security posture against defined policies before granting healthcare support personnel access to apps. Built-in authentication capabilities provide an additional layer of security over the existing 2FA without the expense of costly hardware-based authenticators. The secure browser has been seamless for clinicians to adopt; its familiar interface can be picked up immediately.

Prisma Access Browser is designed to allow access from unmanaged devices, providing the flexibility needed to support business continuity, an important HIPAA requirement. It allows employees and contractors to sign in via a browser from any unmanaged device in the event of device interruptions.

With Prisma Access Browser, the company gained a mechanism to manage sensitive and private information regulated by HIPAA privacy and healthcare laws. The company used last-mile controls governed by the solution to enhance its security posture and better support business operations.

Find out more about how Palo Alto Networks best-in-class solutions can improve networking and security for your organization. Schedule a Prisma Access Browser demo