What's Happening?
Mike Nelson, Vice President of Digital Trust at DigiCert, emphasizes the strategic importance of Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) for healthcare organizations. CLM solutions automate the management of digital certificates, which are crucial for securing data, enabling encrypted communication, and authenticating users and devices. Manual management of certificates can lead to vulnerabilities such as system outages and compliance violations, which disrupt patient care and pose risks to safety and trust. Nelson argues that CLM is not just an IT concern but a strategic imperative, offering benefits like reduced downtime, improved compliance, and enhanced security posture.
Why It's Important?
The adoption of CLM is critical for healthcare organizations facing increasing regulatory pressures and cybersecurity threats. Automated CLM solutions help maintain operational resilience, ensure regulatory compliance, and protect patient data. As healthcare IT teams are often overburdened, CLM reduces the workload by automating certificate management processes, freeing up resources for other critical tasks. The strategic implementation of CLM can prevent costly outages and breaches, safeguarding the reputation and financial stability of healthcare providers.
What's Next?
Healthcare organizations are expected to increasingly adopt CLM solutions to meet evolving regulatory requirements and address cybersecurity challenges. As major browser vendors plan to require more frequent certificate renewals starting in 2029, healthcare providers will need to adapt to these changes to maintain compliance and security. The industry is also preparing for the transition to post-quantum cryptography, which will necessitate updates to cryptographic assets. CLM solutions will play a key role in facilitating these transitions and ensuring long-term infrastructure integrity.
