Healthcare has been transformed by digital technologies electronic health records, connected medical devices, telehealth platforms and large-scale data systems. While these innovations improve efficiency and access, they also expose the sector to elevated cyber risk. According to the guide, healthcare now ranks among the most targeted industries by cybercriminals.

Key vulnerabilities include:

Legacy-connected devices and medical equipment that were not designed with cybersecurity in mind and may run outdated software.

Fragmented systems, mix of IT and operational technology (OT) in hospitals, remote-work protocols and increasing surface area of attack.

Human-factor risks such as phishing, lack of awareness, insufficient incident-response readiness and budget constraints in healthcare organisations.

To address these risks, the guide suggests a multi-layered approach: establishing governance structures, conducting risk assessments, training staff consistently, implementing strong authentication and access controls, encrypting data, segmenting networks and ensuring device lifecycle management. Proactive incident-response planning and regular audits are also emphasised.

Regulatory pressure is increasing globally. For instance, the World Health Organization Europe office recently released guidance on digital-health cybersecurity and privacy maturity assessment, reflecting rising expectations for secure, resilient healthcare systems.

In summary, cybersecurity in healthcare is no longer a back-office issue it is central to patient safety, clinical reliability and public trust. Healthcare leaders must treat cyber risk as a core operational priority alongside quality of care and patient experience.