Strengthening cyber resilience in healthcare
Five ways to defend hospital operations under cyber stress
Healthcare systems are under constant attack
No matter how tough cybercriminals get, these five basic cybersecurity strategies keep hospital staff, administration, and operations cyber resilient.
The healthcare industry requires continuous innovation to aid healthcare professionals in achieving the best medical outcomes for their patients.
Undoubtedly, the flow of medical and operation data is crucial for efficient healthcare delivery, but — it also brings to the forefront significant security and privacy concerns. With heightened cybercrime, implementing strong measures to protect data security and privacy is critical.
Cyber incidents have proven costly, especially in the healthcare industry where handsome rewards can be reaped from obtaining patient data to use for identity theft, financial fraud, or ransomware. As of September 2025, the U.S. Office for Civil Rights had received 508 reports of healthcare breaches affecting 500 or more individuals for the year to date.
Securing the healthcare ecosystem
Healthcare systems comprise multiple stakeholders such as healthcare providers, insurers, pharmaceutical firms, and third-party suppliers. Each entity requires access to sensitive patient data, which increases the likelihood of insider threats and accidental data breaches caused by human error or improper authorization.
While electronic health records, telemedicine, and other digital systems have simplified data access, sharing, and storage, they have also introduced new risks for cyber attacks and data breaches. Continued innovation in AI and data technologies can only boost the frequency and sophistication of cyber risks within the region’s healthcare industry. With more digital touchpoints introduced, malicious actors gain more avenues to launch attacks.
Achieving operational resilience in healthcare demands a strategic approach that extends beyond technical cybersecurity controls. It demands an integrated strategy that keeps systems running, protects access to patient data, and enables fast recovery when incidents occur. Here are five resilience-building approaches healthcare organizations can adopt:
1. Design for disruption, not perfection
Assume incidents will happen. Build systems that can degrade gracefully, for example, prioritize access to critical systems (EHRs, imaging platforms, staff portals) during an attack or outage. Define which workflows must stay online, and test those fallback procedures regularly.
2. Segment systems based on clinical impact
Don’t treat all assets equally. Segment networks and digital systems based on the real-world consequences of a failure, such as those used in emergency care, surgical planning, or telehealth. Limit access to each segment and monitor independently.
3. Ensure secure, anytime access for care teams
Doctors, nurses, and admin staff need access from hospitals, clinics, or home. Solutions like zero trust access can protect sensitive systems without requiring VPNs, enabling flexible yet secure access to patient data, even during disruption.
4. Expand visibility into third-party risk
From payment processors to imaging software vendors, healthcare orgs rely heavily on third-party providers. Build a risk register that includes partners, and evaluate their recovery plans and access methods. Shared accountability helps keep care delivery uninterrupted.
5. Run real-world resilience drills
Simulate cyber incidents just like disaster recovery plans. Tabletop exercises with IT, security, clinical ops, and leadership help teams understand roles and bottlenecks before a real crisis hits. After-action reviews can surface hidden dependencies or fragilities.
These strategies focus on keeping care moving, not just protecting data. Resilient healthcare systems are designed to withstand stress, reduce downtime, and ensure that even under cyber pressure, patient outcomes remain the top priority.
The key to establishing industry-wide standards and best practices is strong collaboration among healthcare stakeholders to address risk, maintain patient safety and privacy, and ensure the always-on availability of medical services. The evolving security landscape and increasing complexity of healthcare systems present significant challenges. However, adopting these strategies will enhance any healthcare organization's cybersecurity posture and mitigate risk.
Cloudflare for Healthcare provides employees and third parties secure access to internal systems, protects patient data, and accelerates performance.
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Key takeaways
After reading this article you will be able to understand:
How over 100 million people were affected by cyber attacks in the healthcare industry last year
5 strategies your organization can implement to keep hospital staff, administration and operations cyber resilient
The importance of collaboration among healthcare stakeholders