Cybersecurity concerns have become much more than a hypothetical for vulnerable hospitals, most of whom are finally realizing just how vulnerable they are. So it’s no surprise that IT security vendors will surely be among the most visited booths on the HIMSS16 exhibit floor.

Among those: Imprivata will be showcasing the expanded capabilities of its Confirm ID technology, touting new remote access features and two-factor authentication for medical devices.

Initially launched in early 2015 as a comprehensive security tool for e-prescribing of controlled substances, Confirm ID helps providers meet DEA requirements for EPCS while also simplifying eRx workflows in general.

The new platform aims to address, on an enterprise level, other cybersecurity imperatives such as remote employee access, medical device security and in-process authentication for clinical transactions, officials said.

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"As healthcare goes digital, critical clinical workflows are using simple usernames and passwords to provide access, making patient information easily vulnerable to hacking," Imprivata CEO Omar Hussain said in a prepared statement.

Imprivata officials said Confirm ID enables fast and secure authentication, protecting workflows against hacking and leaving an auditable "chain of trust" wherever users interact with patient records, financial information or other sensitive data.

"A single, centralized authentication management platform improves security and compliance auditing across the enterprise by enabling better control over how, when, and where users interact with patient records and other sensitive information," added Aaron Miri, chief information officer of Dallas-based Walnut Hill Medical Center.

Miri will discuss Walnut Hill’s use of Imprivata’s identity management and security tools at HIMSS16. Others include Martin Littmann, CTO and CISO at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, who will present on s‎strategies and best practices for achieving EPCS Success, and Rebecca Carter, director of informatics at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, who will talk about improving patient safety and reducing duplicate records with biometric patient ID.

Plenty of industry partners will also be touting their Imprivata collaborations, with vendors including Allscripts (booth #2612), Cerner (#2032), Citrix (#3412), First Databank (FDB) (#1143), HP (#1332), MEDHOST (#3821), Nuance Communications (#2612), Samsung (#724) and VMware (#2221) displaying the company's tools in their in booths.

Imprivata, meanwhile, can be found at booth #3403.

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN 

This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the HIMSS16 conference. Follow our live blog for real-time updates, and visit Destination HIMSS16 for a full rundown of our reporting from the show. For a selection of some of the best social media posts of the show, visit our Trending at #HIMSS16 hub.