As cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and scale, the healthcare industry has become one of the most targeted sectors due to the sensitivity of its data and the critical nature of its services. In this landscape, understanding the difference between Continuous Attack Surface Management (CASM) and Vulnerability Management is essential for healthcare organizations aiming to bolster their defenses.
While CASM provides a proactive lens into an organization’s external exposure, vulnerability management is the structured process of identifying, assessing, remediating, and reporting security flaws within systems. Together, they form a robust approach to cybersecurity that healthcare providers must leverage.
Cybersecurity risk and vulnerability consulting, cloud vulnerability management services, and IT infrastructure vulnerability monitoring help organizations build well-rounded and effective strategies amid evolving challenges.
The Unique Cybersecurity Landscape in Healthcare
Healthcare institutions face a unique cybersecurity environment. The integration of digital health records, IoT devices, and cloud-based systems has dramatically expanded the attack surface. Healthcare organizations are especially attractive to cybercriminals because they manage highly sensitive personal and medical data, and disruptions can directly impact patient safety.
In 2022, cyberattacks on healthcare organizations increased by 86% compared to the previous year. From ransomware attacks on hospitals to breaches affecting millions of patient records, the consequences of cyber vulnerabilities can be catastrophic. For more insights into why healthcare is increasingly targeted, read this blog post or explore our report on The State of Healthcare Cyberattacks in 2024.
Traditional perimeter-based defenses are no longer sufficient. Organizations must understand both what they are exposing to the outside world (their attack surface) and how software vulnerabilities or misconfigurations could compromise their internal systems.
This is where CASM and vulnerability management intersect, complementing each other to create a holistic security posture.
Understanding CASM: Continuous Attack Surface Management
CASM focuses on discovering and managing the assets that are exposed to the public internet. This includes web servers, APIs, third-party applications, cloud instances, shadow IT resources, and more. In many cases, organizations are unaware of all the components that make up their external-facing digital environment.
CASM continuously scans for these assets, assessing their risk level based on exposure and providing visibility into potential threats before attackers can exploit them. In the context of healthcare, this could include an unpatched patient portal, an unsecured telehealth application, or an outdated server used by a third-party vendor.
By identifying and prioritizing exposed assets, CASM enables security teams to take a proactive approach to risk reduction—especially vital in an industry where downtime can affect patient safety.
The Role of Vulnerability Management in Healthcare Security
Vulnerability management is the process of identifying weaknesses in an organization’s software, hardware, and network infrastructure. It includes a cycle of discovery, classification, prioritization, remediation, and verification of security flaws. In healthcare, where legacy systems are often in use and budget constraints may limit tech upgrades, vulnerability management services are essential.
Key components include:
- Scanning: Automated tools scan systems for known vulnerabilities.
- Assessment: Vulnerabilities are assessed based on severity, exploitability, and the potential impact on systems.
- Remediation: Patching or other corrective actions are applied.
- Reporting: Results are documented to show progress and compliance.
A mature vulnerability management program incorporates tools for IT infrastructure vulnerability monitoring and may include integration with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems or endpoint detection platforms. These systems help prioritize actions and streamline remediation efforts.
Comparing CASM and Vulnerability Management
Although people often view CASM and vulnerability management as separate initiatives, they are deeply interrelated and complementary. CASM primarily focuses on monitoring the external attack surface, helping organizations discover unknown assets and their potential exposures, whereas vulnerability management addresses both internal and external system vulnerabilities by identifying flaws and managing remediation efforts.
CASM relies on continuous scanning and asset discovery, making it ideal for managing risks related to cloud platforms, remote access points, and third-party services. In contrast, vulnerability management typically involves scheduled scans and patching processes to address issues in legacy systems, operating systems, and application-level weaknesses.
The outcome of CASM is a reduced number of unknown or shadow IT exposures, while vulnerability management ensures a reduction in exploitable flaws. By aligning CASM with vulnerability management, healthcare providers can achieve a dual-layered defense: preventing exposure of unknown assets while systematically fixing known weaknesses.
This synergy is critical in maintaining operational integrity and compliance with data protection laws like HIPAA.
Leveraging Managed Services and Consulting for Enhanced Protection
With limited in-house resources, many healthcare organizations turn to vulnerability management services or cloud vulnerability management services to implement robust solutions. These providers bring specialized knowledge, tools, and frameworks to enhance the security posture quickly and efficiently.
Similarly, cybersecurity risk and vulnerability consulting can provide tailored assessments that align with healthcare regulations and help define strategies to close critical gaps.
Managed services automate patching, asset tracking, and compliance reporting—critical functions in fast-paced healthcare environments.
The Power of Cloud Integration
Cloud adoption in healthcare has brought both flexibility and complexity. Patient management systems, diagnostic tools, and even telemedicine platforms are often hosted in the cloud. This makes cloud vulnerability management services a key aspect of modern security frameworks.
Cloud-focused tools offer scalable scanning capabilities, help maintain compliance with data residency laws, and allow visibility into multi-cloud environments. They can detect misconfigured cloud storage, insecure APIs, and outdated components, reducing the likelihood of breaches.
Paired with CASM, cloud vulnerability tools monitor exposure in real time and alert stakeholders before escalation.
How business-focused vulnerability management can improve cyber hygiene
Healthcare organizations must move beyond traditional IT security checklists. Instead, cybersecurity initiatives should align with business outcomes like patient care, regulatory compliance, and operational uptime. How business-focused vulnerability management can improve cyber hygiene is by ensuring that security practices support core healthcare goals.
Integrating vulnerability management into business risk strategy helps organizations allocate resources efficiently, improve IT–clinical communication, and strengthen cyber resilience across departments.
For instance, patching a vulnerability in a clinical workstation software may not just be an IT task—it becomes a mission-critical action to protect patient data and avoid system outages during surgeries or emergencies.
Best Practices for Healthcare Organizations
To fully realize the benefits of CASM and vulnerability management, healthcare institutions should:
- Conduct a full asset inventory: Know what systems, applications, and services are connected to your network.
- Adopt a layered security model: Use CASM to reduce unknowns and vulnerability management to fix known issues.
- Engage third-party expertise: Utilize vulnerability management services and cybersecurity risk and vulnerability consulting to scale efforts.
- Prioritize high-risk vulnerabilities: Focus remediation on flaws that have real-world exploit potential and align with patient safety.
- Train staff: Ensure all team members understand their role in maintaining cybersecurity, especially those in clinical settings.
- Automate where possible: Implement tools that provide continuous monitoring and alerting to reduce manual overhead.
- Review regularly: Cyber threats evolve quickly. Regular audits and updates to your security posture are essential.
Conclusion
In the face of increasing cyber threats and regulatory pressure, healthcare organizations can no longer afford reactive security models. By understanding the distinct but complementary roles of CASM and vulnerability management, providers can build a defense strategy that is both proactive and resilient.
Incorporating cloud vulnerability management services, cybersecurity risk and vulnerability consulting, and robust IT infrastructure vulnerability monitoring secures all facets of healthcare IT—whether legacy or modern.
The goal is to meet compliance and safeguard the trust patients place in the healthcare system daily.
FAQs
What is the difference between CASM and vulnerability management in healthcare cybersecurity?
CASM (Continuous Attack Surface Management) identifies and monitors internet-facing digital assets, helping healthcare organizations uncover unknown exposures. Vulnerability management, on the other hand, focuses on identifying, assessing, and remediating security flaws within internal systems, software, and networks. Together, they provide a comprehensive defense against cyber threats.
Why is vulnerability management essential for healthcare providers?
Vulnerability management is critical in healthcare because it protects medical devices, patient record systems, and other essential infrastructure from known vulnerabilities. It helps prevent data breaches, improves patient safety, and supports compliance with standards like HIPAA.
How does CASM help reduce cybersecurity risks in the healthcare industry?
CASM continuously scans for unknown or forgotten internet-facing assets like APIs, cloud storage, or outdated portals. By alerting healthcare organizations to these exposures, it allows for immediate risk mitigation, reducing the chances of a successful cyberattack.
What are some examples of assets monitored under CASM in a hospital or clinic?
Common assets include public websites, remote access portals, cloud-hosted tools (e.g., imaging systems), third-party vendor services, and unmanaged IoT devices. These often fall outside traditional vulnerability management scopes and require CASM for discovery and assessment.
How do cloud vulnerability management services support healthcare cybersecurity?
Cloud vulnerability management services focus on securing cloud-based healthcare platforms by identifying misconfigurations, weak access controls, and unpatched software. These services ensure sensitive data stored in the cloud is protected against emerging threats.
Can vulnerability management services improve compliance with healthcare regulations?
Yes. Professional vulnerability management services help healthcare organizations comply with industry standards like HIPAA by ensuring regular patching, risk assessments, and reporting. These services also support documentation required during audits and incident investigations.
What role does cybersecurity risk and vulnerability consulting play in healthcare?
Cybersecurity risk and vulnerability consulting helps healthcare providers identify gaps in their security posture, prioritize risks based on impact, and create tailored strategies to improve cyber resilience. Consulting services are especially valuable for organizations lacking in-house cybersecurity expertise.
Why is IT infrastructure vulnerability monitoring critical for hospitals?
IT infrastructure vulnerability monitoring offers real-time insights into the security status of servers, medical devices, and network components. Continuous monitoring quickly detects and addresses vulnerabilities, minimizing potential disruptions to patient care.
How can healthcare organizations balance CASM and vulnerability management effectively?
Healthcare providers should implement both CASM and vulnerability management to cover internal and external threats. CASM provides visibility into unknown, external-facing risks, while vulnerability management teams regularly assess and patch internal systems. Combining both helps build a layered defense strategy.