By
Christopher Draven, Client Experience at Umbrella Managed Systems
Faxing Is Out
Fax machines have suffered much negative press recently. News articles highlighting the aging technology have pointed to faxing as a culprit to the delay of Healthcare Interoperability. Even the CMS Administrator, Seema Verma, publicly called for an end to provider reliance on fax machines by 2020.
In the healthcare industry, physician practices and health systems transmit and receive patient information via fax every day. Verma’s comments sparked a media frenzy. However, beyond the inconvenience of using a decades-old solution, a security vulnerability dubbed Faxploit was recently uncovered.
Faxploit is Real
Check Point, a cybersecurity company, published research on a vulnerability in a specific transmission protocol, known as ITU T.30. What researchers uncovered was direct evidence that popular fax machines, like the HP All-In-One, can be hacked to launch a cyberattack to access networks – with nothing more than the fax number.
“While technically possible, a properly managed network makes delivering malicious payloads via fax unlikely. Unfortunately, many organizations do not have preventative measures in place. This new Faxploit threat vector does raise eyebrows, considering healthcare’s continued reliance on faxing.”
– Trent Peters, Principle & CTO of Umbrella Managed Systems
It sounds like something out of a Science Fiction movie, but Faxploit is a legitimate security concern.
Umbrella Can Help
Being aware of and resolving newly discovered vulnerabilities is one component of the proactive services Umbrella offers. Properly securing your system is not only wise but also a regulatory concern. ITMS 3.0 program addresses the constant barrage of threats from Ransomware, Phishing, Faxploit, and other attacks on your infrastructure.
ITMS 3.0 Offers:
- Drive Encryption
- Next Generation Firewall Security
- Security Awareness Training
- Advanced Email Security and Encryption
Knowing your system vulnerabilities and planning for the worst is how you can recover from a cyber-attack. For more information on how Umbrella can help your business improve system resiliency and put safeguards in place, please get in touch.
For more information on Faxploit, read the Check Point article or the Full Research Report.