Healthcare Security needs to evolve with today’s growing threat landscape

How the modern command center empowers real-time decision-making

In the world of security, the awareness, speed and coordination of a team are paramount to success, but those pillars are built on the foundation of the security environment in which they take place. 

As security concerns have evolved, so has the equipment available to help security professionals meet those challenges head-on. The modern command-and-control-center offers a suite of software and equipment designed to bring systems, data and people together so decisions can be made without hesitation. 

‘The modern SOC isn’t just a room full of dashboards anymore. It’s the nerve center of an organization’s security posture bringing together physical and digital infrastructure in ways that demand clarity, speed and resilience,’ said Ben Bell, senior solutions designer with Tech Electronics. 

Designing operations for clarity

Command centers have grown from rooms with monitors into hubs of information, and along with the constant flow of information comes the need for synergistic collaboration. 

Jim Trautman, another senior solutions designer with Tech Electronics, said the need for analysts to work in sync and without distractions quickly became apparent as his company works to design these command centers. 

‘We arrived at that realization early – it doesn’t matter how robust the flow of information is if the workflow isn’t navigable and operable for the user,’ said Trautman. 

He said video walls have become a vital piece of these systems, but they are not the only equipment necessary for security teams to perform their work. 

Tech Electronics has worked to find solutions to latency and create smooth responsive interfaces for these teams. 

‘For a lot of these spaces, the video wall becomes the focal point. It’s not about having a large display – it’s about being able to visualize multiple feeds clearly, without lag or resolution drop-off,’ said Trautman. 

If these systems are designed correctly, they provide SOC teams with the focus and visibility they need. 

Real-time responses, complex environments

Real-time coordination is essential when responding on sites like university campuses, transportation hubs and healthcare systems. SOCs in these spaces need to monitor inputs from multiple buildings, access points and sites all at once, but the core principle remains the same. 

‘Get the right people the right information, fast,’ said Bell. 

Healthcare facilities, especially hospitals, are increasingly becoming a target for security breaches. The value of patient data is paramount, and steps must be taken to ensure that it remains confidential. 

Cross-team functionality is also becoming a priority in these security spaces as collaboration becomes more important. IT stakeholders, facilities leadership and in some cases even external liaisons are involved in the decision-making process. 

The command center must serve as a common ground. 

Reliability is also a key factor in these systems, as operators need to know their equipment will work as designed when it matters most. These considerations must be factored into the design process with fault tolerance, system redundancy and fast failover. 

‘We’ve heard that directly from the people using these systems every day – reliability isn’t just nice to have, it’s a baseline expectation,’ said Trautman. 

Turning incidents into intelligence

With so many different inputs and operations happening at once, these systems also need to be integrated in a simple and easily accessible manner. Working between four or five different interfaces to gather information is not an option. 

Operators need to be able to make decisions in the moment and use these systems under pressure. AV systems, access control, intrusion detection, video management and communications need to be unified in one interface to reduce friction and improve situational clarity.

 Steps should also be in place to record data from incidents so SOC teams can look back on their response to adapt and evolve. 

With the many different layers of security equipment available, not every organization will need every option right away. SOCs are especially scalable, and functions can easily be added as an organization’s needs grow. 

‘We can often design in phases – starting with the core functionality, then layering in more integrations or visual complexities over time,’ said Trautman. 

The modern command-and-control center helps organizations move beyond just responding to individual incidents, building true resilience against any security event. 

‘It’s not just about minimizing damage, it’s about creating systems that help you adapt faster, spot patterns earlier, and recover smarter. In the long run, that’s what defines a mature security posture,’ said Trautman. 

Relevant Links

• Cyber-Attacks on Hospital Systems: A Narrative Review – ScienceDirect
• Hospitals are under siege: cyber risk now outranks every other operational threat. | Censinet