Why Healthcare Needs a New Generation of Biomed‑Cyber Talent
Healthcare’s cybersecurity challenges have expanded far beyond networks, endpoints, and EHRs. Today, one of the most urgent, and least prepared, areas of risk sits inside the clinical environment itself: connected medical devices. Infusion pumps, monitors, imaging systems, surgical robots, and implantable devices now form a massive, interconnected ecosystem that is essential to patient care and increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. With the FDA’s strengthened cybersecurity requirements and the explosion of IoMT (Internet of Medical Things), hospitals are facing a medical device security workforce crisis. The talent needed to secure these devices simply doesn’t exist in sufficient numbers, and the gap is widening.
This Talent Tuesday, we break down why biomedical engineers are becoming cybersecurity professionals, why device‑focused security talent is in such short supply, and how hospitals are building hybrid “biomed + cyber” teams to close the gap.
Why Biomedical Engineers Are Becoming Cybersecurity Professionals
Biomedical engineers have always been responsible for the safety, maintenance, and performance of medical devices. But as devices became networked, software‑driven, and cloud‑connected, their responsibilities expanded dramatically.
Today’s biomed engineers must understand:
- Network segmentation
- Secure configurations
- Patch management and firmware updates
- Vulnerability assessments
- SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) requirements
- Device behavior monitoring
- FDA premarket and postmarket cybersecurity expectations
In many hospitals, biomed teams are now the first line of defense for device security because:
- They understand how devices function clinically
- They know how devices interact with patients and workflows
- They manage device inventories and lifecycle management
- They have hands‑on access to devices that security teams often don’t
This makes biomedical engineers uniquely positioned to evolve into Medical Device Security Engineers, one of the fastest‑growing roles in healthcare cybersecurity.
The Shortage of Device‑Focused Security Talent
The demand for medical device security expertise has skyrocketed, but the talent pipeline hasn’t kept up.
- Few professionals have both clinical device knowledge and cybersecurity skills – Most cybersecurity professionals come from IT, cloud, or network backgrounds. Most biomed professionals come from engineering or clinical technology backgrounds. Very few have both.
- FDA’s new cybersecurity requirements increase pressure – Manufacturers must now provide:
- SBOMs
- Vulnerability management plans
- Secure development practices
- Postmarket monitoring
- Coordinated disclosure processes
Hospitals need staff who can interpret these requirements, evaluate vendor compliance, and manage device risk but those skills are rare.
- IoMT growth is outpacing workforce growth – A typical hospital now manages 10,000–30,000 connected devices, many of which were never designed with cybersecurity in mind. The workforce needed to secure them is tiny by comparison.
- Competition from manufacturers and tech companies – Device makers, cybersecurity vendors, and digital health companies are aggressively hiring device‑security talent — often at salaries hospitals can’t match.
- Legacy devices complicate the work – Many devices:
- Can’t be patched
- Run outdated operating systems
- Have hard‑coded credentials
- Lack encryption
- Were never designed for networked environments
Securing them requires specialized expertise that few professionals possess. The result: a critical shortage of medical device security talent across the entire healthcare ecosystem.
How Hospitals Are Building “Biomed + Cyber” Hybrid Teams
To address the workforce crisis, hospitals are creating new hybrid models that blend biomedical engineering with cybersecurity.
- Medical Device Security Engineer Roles – These roles combine:
- Biomed engineering
- Network security
- Vulnerability management
- Device procurement review
- Incident response support
They serve as the connective tissue between clinical engineering and cybersecurity.
- Joint Biomed–Cyber Task Forces – Many organizations now run cross‑functional teams that:
- Inventory and classify devices
- Prioritize high‑risk assets
- Coordinate patching and updates
- Respond to device‑related cyber incidents
- Evaluate new devices before purchase
This model ensures device security is embedded into clinical operations.
- Upskilling Programs for Biomed Staff – Hospitals are investing in:
- Security+ and CISSP prep
- IoMT‑specific training
- Network fundamentals
- Zero Trust for medical devices
- FDA cybersecurity workshops
Upskilling existing biomed staff is often faster and more effective than hiring externally.
- Cybersecurity Analysts Embedded in Biomed – Some organizations place security analysts directly inside biomed departments to:
- Support vulnerability scanning
- Review SBOMs
- Monitor device behavior
- Coordinate with SOC teams
This creates a shared responsibility model.
- Vendor Partnerships and MSSPs – Given the talent shortage, many hospitals rely on:
- Managed medical device security services
- IoMT monitoring platforms
- Vendor‑supported patching programs
These partnerships supplement internal teams while they build long‑term capacity.
Talent Tuesday Takeaway
The medical device security workforce crisis is one of the most urgent challenges in healthcare cybersecurity, and one of the least discussed. As devices become more connected and more essential to patient care, the need for professionals who understand both clinical technology and cybersecurity will continue to grow. Biomedical engineers are stepping into cybersecurity roles. Hospitals are building hybrid biomed‑cyber teams. Upskilling programs are accelerating. But the demand still far outpaces supply. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the perfect time to highlight this emerging workforce, invest in their development, and recognize that securing medical devices is now a core component of patient safety.