By Russ Smith, VP of Infrastructure & Security, Lightbeam Health Solutions
LinkedIn: Russell Smith
LinkedIn: Lightbeam Health Solutions
Healthcare’s digital transformation has made information the currency of care. Every shared record or connected system depends on data that can be trusted. As organizations become more interoperable and integrate artificial intelligence into daily workflows, protecting that trust is now essential to reliable care delivery.
Cybersecurity is now front and center of that effort. It protects the flow of accurate information and the reliability of the systems healthcare organizations rely on. When that protection fails, care coordination slows and the trust behind it begins to weaken. The scale of the problem continues to grow: the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report identified healthcare as the most targeted critical infrastructure industry.
The Hidden Complexity Beneath Integration
Today, health data moves across hospitals, payers, community programs, and vendors. Each connection adds value but also creates exposure. Threats that once stopped at a single firewall can now move through entire networks, interrupting operations or exposing private information.
AI exacerbates this dynamic. It accelerates how information moves and increases the number of systems that rely on it. This makes today’s cybersecurity environment far more fluid than in the past. Therefore, it requires a foundation that can adapt quickly and maintain continuity as technology evolves. Understanding that challenge begins with understanding the threats themselves.
Common Cybersecurity Threats
Ransomware, data theft, and insider exposure continue to dominate healthcare security incidents.
Ransomware in particular can halt operations almost instantly. When data is locked, it cuts off access to patient histories and scheduling systems, delaying care and consuming staff time. In 2024, more than half of the 444 cyber threats reported in healthcare stemmed from ransomware attacks.
Then there’s data theft. Since patient records combine personal identifiers with clinical details, they’ve become valuable targets for criminals who sell or exploit them. Last year, we saw 275 million healthcare records compromised in the U.S. alone. Beyond the financial cost, every breach erodes the trust between patients and their providers.
Insider threats, mostly unintentional, are another huge source of breaches. These include sending unencrypted files, leaving screens unlocked, or downloading unauthorized software that installs malware.
Building a Resilient Foundation
Good defense starts with structure. NIST, ISO, and HITRUST frameworks give teams a common language for classifying and monitoring data. They also help coordinate security across departments and partners.
But structure alone is not enough. Today’s security models must evolve with the systems they protect. Regular reviews and software updates help. Outside testing, too. These practices take time. But they protect far more than infrastructure. Now they protect patient access and trust, too.
Everyone who handles data has a role in safeguarding it. The best ways are often the simplest. Locking their screens, using strong passwords, and verifying the identities of email senders are all important steps. Basic? Yes. Are they worth the effort? Absolutely.
Training reinforces good habits. It also helps staff recognize potential social-engineering attempts. We continue to see impersonation scams, including schemes in which callers pose as federal agents to steal credentials from doctors and pharmacists.
All this means that resilience grows through steady attention and shared participation. When security becomes part of daily operations, continuity follows.
Confidence in Data, Care, and Collaboration
AI introduces opportunities and more dependencies. Algorithms trained on accurate, protected data can improve prediction and automate routine work. If the underlying data is compromised, those same tools can misclassify risk or misdirect resources. Embedding cybersecurity into data governance—verifying inputs, controlling access, and auditing model behavior—keeps patient insights credible before they inform clinical or financial decisions.
In an era defined by data exchange and AI-driven insight, cybersecurity functions as healthcare’s trust framework. It gives organizations the confidence to share information, coordinate care, and adapt to new technologies without sacrificing reliability. That confidence is what turns digital progress into lasting, patient-centered improvement.