The healthcare industry faces a unique and urgent challenge in the ever-evolving world of cyber threats. As businesses across sectors fortify their digital defenses, healthcare stands out as a critical target due to its reliance on interconnected devices and vast repositories of sensitive patient data. Safeguarding healthcare’s digital infrastructure, including electronic health records, networked medical devices, and communication systems, requires robust cybersecurity strategies tailored to this high-stakes industry. With cyberattacks growing in sophistication, protecting the integrity of healthcare operations is not just a technical necessity but a fundamental business priority that directly impacts patient trust and safety. Healthcare’s digital assets and the processes using those must be cyber-resilient.
Importance of Cybersecurity in Healthcare
Healthcare organizations play a vital role in safeguarding sensitive patient information while delivering essential services. With the growing reliance on digital technologies like electronic health records, telemedicine, and IoT devices, the risk of cyberattacks has surged, threatening both critical operations and patient safety. Effective cybersecurity in healthcare is essential to prevent disruptions, protect sensitive data, maintain public trust, and ensure compliance with regulations like HIPAA, HITECH, or HITRUST.
In this article, we examine why cybersecurity is critical for healthcare providers in today’s digital landscape and what cybersecurity risks organizations must prepare for.
The Growing Threat Landscape in Healthcare
Why Healthcare is a Prime Target for Cyberattacks
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there was a 93% increase in significant breaches reported from 2018 to 2022, along with 278% in ransomware attacks. In 2023, more than 133 million healthcare records were exposed to some attack. Why is healthcare such a prime target for cybercriminals?
- Medical records contain comprehensive personal details that can be sold for high prices on the dark web, selling for around $60 compared to $15 for a Social Security number and $3 for a credit card
- Healthcare organizations host a lot of legacy medical equipment that runs outdated software with little built-in security
- There is more significant pressure to pay ransoms due to life-critical services that cannot be down
- The 24/7 nature of healthcare makes it challenging to implement comprehensive security measures without disrupting patient care
- Many internal and external parties access patient data, so access control is a challenge
Key Cybersecurity Challenges Faced by Healthcare Providers
As healthcare providers embrace digital transformation, they face unique cybersecurity challenges that threaten patient safety, data integrity, and critical processes. Below are some of the most pressing issues that make securing healthcare systems a complex and urgent priority.
- Legacy Systems and Outdated Technology: Healthcare organizations often prioritize budgets for medical care and equipment over cybersecurity, leading to delayed updates and reliance on legacy systems. These systems, deeply integrated into critical workflows, are difficult to replace without risking service disruptions. A 2021 Kaspersky Lab report revealed that 73% of health systems globally used medical equipment running legacy operating systems, which often lack modern security features and are highly vulnerable to exploitation.
- Increasing Connectivity via IoMT (Internet of Medical Things): The adoption of IoMT devices has introduced new vulnerabilities, as these devices often prioritize connectivity over security. Traditional cybersecurity solutions struggle to secure IoMT devices due to scanning and agent installation limitations, leaving them susceptible to attacks.
- Remote Work and Telehealth Vulnerabilities: The rise of remote work and telehealth services has expanded attack surfaces in healthcare, relying on home networks that often lack enterprise-level security. Telehealth involves transmitting sensitive patient information online, creating additional entry points for cybercriminals to exploit.
Common Cyber Threats in the Healthcare Industry
Ransomware
Ransomware attacks depend on leverage to be successful. The more costly the disruption and urgent the need to restore critical services, the more leverage ransomware attackers have – which is why hospitals are an ideal target. In the event of a successful ransomware attack, surgeries must be delayed, emergency patients require diversion to alternative facilities, and access to vital patient data is obstructed. This scenario pressures healthcare providers to restore services quickly, giving ransomware operators significant leverage in their demands.
Phishing and Social Engineering
Phishing and social engineering attacks are not singular to healthcare attacks. Phishing remains a predominant attack method in all industry types, as the human element is typically the weakest link within any organization. However, healthcare workers may be particularly susceptible to such attacks due to their primary focus on patient care. The intense dedication to addressing health concerns can sometimes lead healthcare professionals to lower their guard against potential security threats inadvertently. Adding to this, healthcare workers regularly communicate with many people they do not know — patients, laboratory assistants, external auditors and more — so properly vetting every message is a huge burden.
Insider Threats
The financial gain in selling patient records can prove tempting for employees. Cybercriminals are known to offer rewards to internal employees that can grant them remote access to critical systems. While this is certainly a threat, the possibility of accidental data loss or exposure is much greater. For instance, healthcare workers may accidentally send emails containing patient information to the wrong recipients or accidentally publicly post confidential data. Misconfigured settings can also lead to data exposure, and misplaced devices can compromise sensitive information.
The Impact of Cybersecurity Breaches on Patient Safety and Healthcare Operations
How Cyberattacks Compromise Patient Safety and Care Delivery
Cyberattacks in healthcare have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond data privacy concerns. Such attacks can directly affect people’s lives. A recent Ponemon Institute study highlights the ramifications of these attacks on patient outcomes:
- 71% of respondents reported that ransomware attacks led to delays in procedures and tests, resulting in poor patient outcomes
- 48% noted that these attacks prolonged hospital stays for patients.
Even a minor delay in accessing patient records or operating medical devices can have life-threatening consequences. Device integrity also becomes an issue as compromised devices fail during critical moments or deliver wrong information.
Financial Costs of Data Breaches in Healthcare
In 2024, the average cost of a healthcare data breach was $9.77 million. Compare that to the average data breach cost across all sectors, which was $4.88 million. Healthcare breaches were twice as expensive as the average for all industries. This is not recent, as healthcare breaches have been the costliest for 14 years. These consistently elevated costs in healthcare can be attributed to several factors:
- Healthcare data breaches often take a long time to detect and contain.
- The healthcare sector is heavily regulated, and breaches often result in significant fines and penalties under laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
- Reputational damages to healthcare organizations lead to a loss of patient trust that potentially results in decreased patient numbers and revenue
- The complexity of healthcare IT systems makes investigation and mitigation expensive
Regulatory Frameworks Governing Healthcare Cybersecurity
HIPAA Security and Privacy Rules
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a cornerstone regulation in U.S. healthcare cybersecurity. Its primary purpose is to protect patient health information (PHI) from unauthorized access to ensure it remains confidential. Some of its other key provisions include:
- Granting patients fundamental rights over their health data.
- Mandating a multi-faceted approach to securing PHI, encompassing administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.
- Requiring organizations to conduct periodic risk analysis of their environment and mandates timely reporting of data breaches.
Non-compliance with HIPAA security rules can result in substantial fines ranging from $100 to $50,000 per violation, depending on the severity and intent.
HITECH Act Subtitle D
The subtitle D of HITECH Act extends the complete Privacy and Security Provisions of HIPAA to the business associates of covered entities and requires all covered entities to report data breaches that affect 500 or more individuals.
HHS Healthcare Cybersecurity Performance Goals
While HIPAA is a mandatory baseline for healthcare organizations, cybersecurity performance goals (CPGs) are like a detailed instruction manual that helps teams achieve better security. CPGs complement HIPAA by providing concrete steps to improve cybersecurity posture. They do not replace HIPAA’s legal requirements, though. Some of its outlined measures include:
- Mitigating known vulnerabilities
- Implementing email security
- Using multi-factor authentication
- Providing basic cybersecurity training
International Regulations like GDPR
If you are a healthcare organization that operates globally, you must also comply with applicable international compliance requirements. A classic example is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which governs data protection and privacy for individuals within the European Union. GDPR has a broad scope as it applies to any organization processing the personal data of EU residents, regardless of the organization’s location. It requires organizations to implement security measures at every stage of data handling and mandates reporting of data breaches to authorities within 72 hours.
Best Practices for Strengthening Cybersecurity in Healthcare
Let’s look at some of the best practices for establishing a proper security posture to protect healthcare data.
- Risk Assessments: These comprehensive evaluations evaluate devices, services, and third-party providers against security policies. They are used to address security gaps, assess the potential impact of identified risks, and prioritize remediation efforts based on the level of risk.
- Incident Response Planning: Outlines the step-by-step procedures for detecting, containing, eradicating, and recovering from threats. It also defines the roles and responsibilities of response team members. An Incident Response Plan is a dynamic document that should be regularly tested, reviewed, and updated.
- Cyber Hygiene: Cyber hygiene includes basics such as enforcing strong password policies, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), regularly updating and patching systems and software to address vulnerabilities, implementing endpoint protection solutions, and employing network segmentation strategies to limit intrusion spread.
- Employee Training: All users within your organization need to be educated on basic cybersecurity protocols and best practices, with additional specialized training for departments that handle PHI and critical medical devices. Training should include regular phishing simulations and security awareness training.
- Securing IoMT Devices & Medical Equipment: Securing these devices includes maintaining a detailed inventory of all connected medical devices, patching them, enacting strong authentication controls for device access if possible, and monitoring device behavior for anomalies that could indicate compromise.
Cybersecurity Solutions for Healthcare Providers
Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication and Access Controls
MFA reduces the risk of unauthorized access by requiring users to provide two or more verification factors when requesting access. This can include biometric authentication, one-time passwords (OTP), push notifications, FIDO keys, and SMS-based verification. Access controls that utilize role-based access control (RBAC) to assign permissions based on job functions should be implemented alongside MFA.
Data Encryption and Secure Data Storage
Given the prevalence of cyberattacks in today’s digital landscape, organizations should operate under the assumption that they will face an attack at some point. Encrypting sensitive electronic data is a critical safeguard because it ensures that any exfiltrated information remains inaccessible without the decryption key. Ensure your chosen encryption aligns with HIPAA requirements, and regularly audit and monitor data access and usage.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning
The only way to ensure reliable continuity of your services is to plan for the worst. This involves creating a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that clearly defines procedures, roles, and responsibilities for operating in emergency mode. The plan should identify mission-critical infrastructure, applications, and data, incorporate redundant systems and backup power sources, and establish recovery time objectives (RTOs) for various systems to minimize downtime and disruption.
Addressing the Unique Cybersecurity Challenges in Hospitals and Health Systems
How to Protect EHR Systems and Patient Data
Any discussion about healthcare cybersecurity must begin with protecting Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems. Any cybersecurity strategy should include measures such as:
- Encrypting patient data both at rest and in transit
- Implementing strict user access controls based on roles and responsibilities
- Applying regular updates and patching consistently
- Implementing comprehensive logging and monitoring to track access and management changes
- Maintaining secure and regularly tested backups to ensure quick recovery in case of data loss or ransomware attacks
Securing Medical Devices and Critical Infrastructure
While the rise of network-connected medical devices has dramatically enhanced healthcare delivery, it has also expanded the attack surface. Some of the measures to protect these devices, in addition to critical infrastructure, include the following:
- Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all connected medical devices and assess their vulnerabilities
- Regularly update and patch medical devices to mitigate known vulnerabilities
- Restrict who has access to these devices using role-based access control
- Isolate medical devices on separate network segments to limit potential damage from a breach
- Use real-time monitoring to identify unusual behavior or signs of compromise
Vendor and Third-Party Risk Management
Your organization is only as secure as your supply chain and other third-party organizations with access to your systems. While it may seem uncomfortable to do so, you should enact the following procedures for all outside parties you work with:
- Establish clear contractual terms governing data security, privacy, and breach notification procedures
- Conduct thorough assessments of potential vendors before onboarding and inquire into their security practices and compliance with regulations like HIPAA
- Limit vendor access to sensitive systems and data using the principle of least privilege
The Role of Cybersecurity in Safeguarding Patient Privacy
The Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) Triad
The Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) Triad has served as a fundamental model for information security. Its roots can be traced back to military security practices that focused on protecting information from external threats, and it is particularly relevant to healthcare organizations today. As its name implies, the CIA triad is comprised of three components.
- Confidentiality: Ensures that patient information is accessible only to authorized individuals and remains private. Security measures include implementing strong access controls, encryption, and secure communication channels to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.
- Integrity: This focus is on maintaining the accuracy and consistency of patient data throughout its lifecycle. This preserves the reliability of clinical data, which is critical for accurate diagnoses, treatment plans, and patient safety. Security measures include automated backup solutions, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to limit data access based on user roles, and checksums for data validation.
- Availability: Ensures patient data, applications, and critical systems are accessible when needed, especially in emergencies where delays could jeopardize patient care. Required measures might include redundant systems, backup power supplies, and disaster recovery plans.
Emerging Trends in Healthcare Cybersecurity
Emerging trends in healthcare cybersecurity are reshaping how organizations protect sensitive patient data and critical systems. Below are some of the rapidly evolving advancements that are driving significant improvements in healthcare security practices:
Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Cyber Defense
While human expertise, critical thinking, and intuition remain essential in responding to complex cyberattacks, automation and AI increasingly serve as powerful multipliers in healthcare cybersecurity. These technologies enable organizations to defend against threats at machine speed, allowing security teams to focus on strategic decisions. Here are some ways AI and automation enhance healthcare security:
- Rapid threat detection and response
- Predictive analytics for proactive defense
- Enhanced user behavior analytics
- Intelligent network traffic analysis
- Automated vulnerability assessments
Cloud Security in Healthcare
According to a 2023 industry survey, 70% of Health IT professionals reported that their organizations have adopted cloud computing solutions. The driving reason is that cloud providers deliver enterprise-grade security features that would be cost-prohibitive and overly complex for most healthcare organizations to build and maintain internally. Their security infrastructure, experienced security teams, and advanced security tools often exceed what individual organizations can achieve independently. Other benefits include access to cutting-edge technology such as AI and the ability to scale services dynamically to meet changing patient and operational needs.
The Shift Toward Zero Trust Architecture
Zero trust operates under the “never trust, always verify.” This means the enforcement of continuous authentication and authorization for all users and devices. It is an approach quickly gaining traction in healthcare cybersecurity to secure sensitive patient data and the expanding Internet of IoMT devices, applications, and critical systems. Key components of a Zero Trust architecture suitable for healthcare settings include:
- Identity and access management (IAM)
- Encryption
- Segmentation
- Continuous monitoring and behavioral analysis
- Least privilege access control
Cybersecurity Incidents in Healthcare
The WannaCry Attack on the UK National Health Service
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) was one of the many organizations affected by the global WannaCry ransomware attack on May 12, 2017. The attack affected more than 200,000 computers in more than 150 countries. For the NHS, it led to the cancellation of thousands of appointments and operations, and in some cases, patients had to be diverted to other hospitals. Personnel had to revert to pen and paper and use personal mobile phones to continue operations. Ultimately, the attack cost the NHS an estimated £92 million.
Notable Ransomware Attacks in U.S. Hospitals
In 2023, 141 hospitals were directly affected by ransomware attacks in the U.S. This trend continued into 2024 as we witnessed the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago fall victim to a cyberattack on January 31, 2024, that forced its IT systems offline. Staff were forced to work under downtime procedures and record patient information manually while its EHR was offline. The hospital struggled for weeks to restore its systems fully, and the breach ultimately exposed the sensitive health information of 791,784 individuals.
In a similar incident, Ascension Health, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the U.S., experienced a cyberattack that impacted many of its 140 hospitals across 19 states. The attack took almost six weeks to restore access to electronic medical systems and resume normal operations and compromised the personal information of an estimated 5,599,699 people.
The Future of Healthcare Cybersecurity
The Evolution of Cybersecurity Technologies in Healthcare
Cybersecurity must continuously advance to keep pace with the ever-evolving attack methodologies. While early cybersecurity measures focused on perimeter defense and essential malware prevention, healthcare organizations must transition to zero trust when accessing their systems and hosted data. In addition to new technologies such as AI and automated tools, Blockchain technology is emerging to ensure data integrity and secure medical records. Considering how easy it is to launch password attacks, MFA will become standard practice, gradually replacing passwords with alternative authentication methods like biometrics and security keys.
How to Build Cyber Resilience in the Healthcare Industry
One uncomfortable truth today is that you cannot stop all cyberattacks on your organization. That is why you must go beyond protection measures and make cyber resilience a key objective. Cyber resilience focuses on preparing for, responding to, and recovering from cyber incidents. The more resilient you are, the more likely you will be able to sustain, attack, and have business continuity. Continuity of operations is imperative for healthcare.
Begin by conducting a thorough evaluation of your current cybersecurity posture:
- Identify mission-critical healthcare services and systems
- Document minimum operational requirements for patient care and determine acceptable downtime windows for various systems
- Inventory all PHI locations and ensure that the data is encrypted
- Assess current backup and recovery procedures and improve them if necessary
- Map all vendor and partner connections and review security requirements in business associate agreements
- Establish alternate processing procedures
The goal here isn’t just to prevent attacks and ensure your organization can continue providing essential healthcare services even while under attack. Regular evaluation and testing of these elements helps maintain operational resilience.
How Netwrix Can Help
Netwrix provides a suite of solutions designed to address challenges in cyber security for healthcare organizations.
- Netwrix Threat Manager: Leverage advanced threat detection powered by machine learning and user behavior analytics to identify and respond to suspicious activities in real time, helping prevent disruptions to critical healthcare operations.
- Netwrix Password Policy Enforcer: Enforce strong, customizable password policies across Active Directory to mitigate the risk of weak or compromised passwords, protecting sensitive patient information and systems.
- Netwrix Password Secure: Enhance password security with real-time alerts and comprehensive reporting, enabling proactive identification and resolution of vulnerabilities that could impact healthcare systems and devices.
- Netwrix GroupID Password Management: Empower healthcare staff to reset their own passwords in Entra ID and Active Directory, minimizing downtime while allowing IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives. For added security, require multi-factor authentication (MFA) or manager approval for password resets.
- Netwrix Enterprise Auditor for AD/Entra ID: Identify and address critical security threats, such as weak passwords or suspicious logon events, while maintaining compliance with healthcare regulations like HIPAA.
- Netwrix Auditor: Gain full visibility into user activity and system changes across your IT environment to quickly detect and remediate risks, ensuring the security and integrity of healthcare operations.
Prioritizing Cybersecurity for a Safe Healthcare Environment
There are some real cybersecurity challenges in healthcare today, which is why all organizations within the healthcare industry must prioritize cybersecurity to create a safe healthcare environment. By aligning cybersecurity with patient safety initiatives, healthcare organizations can protect sensitive data, ensure continuity of care, and maintain public trust. Developing a culture of cybersecurity awareness must involve the commitment of company leadership, who must instill a culture towards viewing cybersecurity as a shared responsibility across all levels of the organization, from executives to frontline staff. While it is impossible to predict the future, we know that cyber threats will continue to evolve, so healthcare providers must remain vigilant, adaptable, and proactive in their approach to cybersecurity. By doing so, they can safeguard patient information, comply with regulations, and ensure the delivery of high-quality care in an increasingly interconnected healthcare ecosystem.
FAQs
How is cybersecurity used in healthcare?
A primary objective of cybersecurity in healthcare is to protect sensitive patient data and ensure medical services’ integrity. Healthcare organizations implement various strategies to achieve this, including:
- Access control through secure login credentials, multi-factor authentication, and role-based access ensures only authorized personnel can access patient records or use medical systems.
- Data encryption to protect patient records both in storage and during transmission between systems.
- Network security using firewalls, network segmentation, and intrusion detection systems to protect connected medical devices and clinical systems from cyberattacks.
- Device management utilizing policies to govern how medical devices connect to networks, receive security updates and maintain firmware versions.
What happened in the changing healthcare cyberattack 2024?
The Change Healthcare cyberattack in February 2024 was one of the most significant ransomware attacks on the U.S. healthcare system. It resulted in the theft of personal healthcare information belonging to over 100 million individuals, making it the most important known theft of medical data in U.S. history.
What does cybersecurity do in healthcare?
The healthcare industry relies on cybersecurity to safeguard patient data, medical devices, and healthcare systems from digital threats. It encompasses a range of protective measures designed to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive health information. These measures include implementing strict access controls, encrypting data at rest and in transit, deploying advanced firewalls and antivirus software, and staff education. Another aspect of healthcare cybersecurity is ensuring compliance with regulations like HIPAA. , conduct regular security assessments, and educate staff on best practices. By maintaining strong cybersecurity protocols, healthcare organizations can prevent data breaches, maintain operational continuity, and preserve patient trust in an increasingly digital healthcare landscape.
Why is healthcare a top target for cybersecurity threats?
The healthcare industry’s wealth of sensitive data and critical operations makes it an obvious magnet for cybercriminals, and stolen healthcare data commands premium prices when sold on the dark web and other illicit marketplaces. The critical nature of healthcare services means organizations are more likely to pay ransoms quickly to restore essential patient care operations, making them attractive targets for extortion. On top of all this, many healthcare organizations often struggle with outdated systems, limited resources, and complex networks of interconnected devices, creating numerous vulnerabilities.
How to improve cyber security in healthcare?
Healthcare organizations can strengthen their cybersecurity through several key strategies:
- Implement strict access controls, including multi-factor authentication and role-based access control (RBAC)
- Encrypt all protected health information both at rest and in transit
- Conduct regular risk assessments and integrate risk management into business processes.
- Provide ongoing cybersecurity training for all staff, tailored to specific roles and responsibilities
- Develop and regularly update incident response plans.
- Adopt a zero-trust approach that assumes no one is inherently trusted and implements network segmentation and continuous monitoring measures.
What are the cybersecurity threats in healthcare?
Healthcare organizations face a wide range of cybersecurity threats, including data breaches, ransomware, phishing attacks, intentional or accidental insider threats, social engineering, and supply chain attacks. To make things even more challenging, healthcare organizations use devices like pacemakers, infusion pumps, and wearable devices that are often poorly secured, creating entry points for attackers.
