Digitalization is permeating healthcare and bringing dependence on data and information systems. Without protection, there is a risk of leaks, outages, and direct impacts on patients. Cybersecurity is therefore as much a part of modern care delivery as equipment or staff.
The most common threats in practice
At the top of the list is social engineering: e‑mails and messages that entice clicks and the opening of malicious attachments. This is followed by encryption or theft of data after malicious code is executed, or the covert reading of sensitive information. Internal causes also account for a significant share of incidents – from inadvertent mistakes to the intent of disgruntled employees. Connected medical technologies are also a risk: if an attacker changes the parameters of a ventilator or an insulin pump, the impact is immediate.
The barrier to entry for attacks is falling, because “attack as a service” can be ordered just as easily as other digital services. Automation spreads malicious code quickly and in a targeted way. Vigilance by individuals and the resilience of systems are therefore crucial.
How to strengthen resilience: from processes to people
Security needs to be built into processes from the start – when designing the hospital, workflows, and IT solutions. It is easier to set rules and technical measures on a “greenfield” than to rework established systems. The goal is to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data so the organization can weather an attack and continue providing care.
Equally important is raising awareness across everyone – from doctors and nurses to management, which is often the target of attacks. Sharing experiences about attacks and solutions helps, as does open collaboration with partners when in-house capacity is lacking. People and budgets are scarce, problems are multiplying, so it pays to be pragmatic: training, basic technical measures, and clear processes make an immediate difference.
