Russell Dowdell, Imprivata Senior Director, Product Management, Privileged Access, tackles five pivotal questions, sharing valuable insights and best practices in managing risks stemming from vendor access.

There’s no way around it: most businesses can’t properly function without significant help from various supply chain partners including third-party vendors. And as organizations’ external connectivity needs have grown, so have inherent security risks, due to the expanded attack surface cybercriminals are aggressively exploiting.

Cybersecurity spending is up—but so are the challenges facing IT teams. Global information security budgets are projected to hit $212 billion this year, yet many organisations still face staffing shortages, operational blind spots, and rising pressure to keep up with evolving threats.

Waltham, Mass. – August 5, 2025 – Imprivata, a leading provider of access management solutions for healthcare and other mission-critical industries, today introduced advanced face authentication technology to further expand the company’s passwordless capabilities.

As economic pressure tightens and IT talent remains in short supply, organisations are allocating cybersecurity budgets with a sharpened lens toward driving efficiency and ROI. A recent IANS Research report found that cybersecurity budgets increased only 4% in 2025, down from 8% the year prior.

As outsourcing accelerates and digital ecosystems grow more complex, organisations are finding that traditional vendor risk management strategies aren’t enough. Recent Imprivata data reveals just how exposed organisations are to third- and fourth-party risk.

As healthcare systems face mounting cyber threats targeting their most sensitive accounts, many are still struggling to close critical access gaps. In fact, only 36% of health IT leaders say their organisations have a privileged access strategy that’s consistently applied enterprise-wide, according to data from Imprivata and the Ponemon Institute.

Shared-use mobile devices are transforming care delivery across Australia’s hospitals, offering clinicians faster access to patient information and driving significant cost efficiencies. Imprivata research reveals that Australian hospitals could save an average of A$1.2 million annually through shared mobile device programs.

As Zero Trust architecture becomes the framework for most modern cybersecurity strategies, many overlook a critical vulnerability: vendor access. Only 36% of health IT leaders say their organisations have a privileged access strategy applied consistently enterprise-wide, according to data from Imprivata and the Ponemon Institute.