Buyer’s Guide for Medical Device Security Solutions
"Buyer's Guide for Medical Device Security Solutions" is a 2023 Ordr guide written for healthcare IT, HTM (Healthcare Technology Management), and clinical engineering teams evaluating security platforms. It defines the seven capabilities any medical device security solution must have, explains why healthcare environments present uniquely difficult security challenges (legacy devices, vendor restrictions, patient safety constraints), and walks through how Ordr addresses each requirement.
What you'll learn
- Healthcare's device problem is unlike standard IT. Medical devices run on legacy or unsupported OS versions, can't be patched without vendor re-approval and recalibration testing, and often can't be taken offline — making traditional security approaches inapplicable. High-value equipment also sits idle 58% of the time, compounding both security and operational inefficiency.
- "Whole hospital" visibility is the non-negotiable foundation. Security must cover every connected device — not just managed IT endpoints — including HVAC, elevators, infusion pumps, and security cameras, because an attacker targeting a building system can pivot laterally to a medical device. Discovery must be passive and agentless to avoid disrupting sensitive equipment.
- Risk scoring needs clinical context, not just CVSS scores. A CT scanner in a patient care area is far more critical than the same device in a research lab. Effective prioritization requires combining vulnerability data with device role, location, PHI exposure, and patient safety impact to produce a meaningful clinical risk score.
- Automation across the full lifecycle is essential at scale. With tens to hundreds of thousands of devices across multiple teams, floors, and buildings, manual processes don't scale. HTM teams already spend 30–60 minutes per shift just locating devices. Security solutions must automate discovery, policy creation, segmentation, and incident response — and integrate bidirectionally with CMMS, SIEM, NAC, firewalls, and EDR tools already in place.
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Buyer’s Guide for Medical Device Security Solutions
- Why can't hospitals just apply standard IT security tools to medical devices?
- Vulnerability scanners can damage sensitive medical devices; patches require vendor coordination and government re-approval; and devices can't be taken offline without disrupting patient care. A passive, agentless approach is required that observes without interfering.
- What is a "clinical risk score" and why does it matter?
- It's a composite risk score that goes beyond CVE severity to factor in device criticality, patient safety impact, PHI exposure, network segmentation status, and operational dependencies — allowing teams to prioritize which vulnerabilities to address first in a way that raw CVSS scores can't.
- How does device utilization fit into a security platform?
- Utilization data (e.g., which high-value equipment is idle, where devices are located in real time) helps HTM teams reduce the manual effort of locating devices, optimize maintenance scheduling, and avoid unnecessary capital purchases — directly addressing the workforce efficiency crisis in clinical engineering.
- What integrations should a medical device security solution support?
- At minimum: CMMS/CMDB for inventory accuracy, NAC and firewalls for policy enforcement, SIEM for incident response, vulnerability management tools, ITSM for ticketing workflows, and clinical systems for device classification and utilization. Ordr supports 80+ integrations across all these categories.
This resource is published by ORDR, the connected asset security company. ORDR delivers AI-powered visibility, risk assessment, and automated protection for IoT, OT, and IoMT devices across healthcare, manufacturing, government, and financial environments. Browse all resources →