The healthcare sector is facing the perfect storm of threats. According to the 2026 Horizon Report by Fortified, the number of healthcare security breaches increased 112 percent between 2024 and 2025. Hacking incidents more than doubled, while unauthorized access more than tripled.
The report notes that attacks are hitting more healthcare organizations faster than ever before. Costs are also on the rise. According to the IBM 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report, healthcare data breaches cost an average of $7.42 million, the highest among all industries for the 12th consecutive year.
At the same time, healthcare organizations must comply with increasingly complex regulations, with the scope and pace of change often exceeding their ability to adapt. The regulatory landscape is rapidly expanding, driven by growing scrutiny of data privacy and new technologies.
Healthcare organizations are further threatened by a lack of skilled staff and increasingly limited budgets. Managed security services can help address these challenges by delivering cost-efficient solutions and services that reduce cyber risk.
Preying on Healthcare’s Urgency, Trust
Ransomware has become one of the most critical “threat-to-life” crimes in healthcare, transitioning from an IT nuisance to a direct risk to patient safety. Studies have linked ransomware attacks to a 28 percent increase in mortality rates at affected facilities. The sector is a prime target because healthcare providers operate under immense pressure to restore lifesaving systems, making them more likely to pay ransoms.
Phishing and spear phishing remain the primary methods for delivering ransomware. Threat actors use deception to gain initial access to the network. While email remains the most common delivery vector, the use of generative AI has increased the sophistication of phishing, smishing (SMS) and vishing (voice) attacks.
Attackers tailor their campaigns to exploit the trust of medical staff, often using healthcare-specific jargon and impersonating trusted partners. Fake, high-pressure scenarios, such as needing immediate access to lab results or patient records, are used to trick staff into clicking malicious links or opening malware-laden attachments.
The Business Email Compromise Threat
Business email compromise (BEC) attacks in healthcare are surging, with 51 percent of organizations reporting incidents that lead to severe financial losses. In BEC attacks, cybercriminals pose as vendors, executives or colleagues to trick employees into transferring funds or changing payment details. The Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) recently issued a security alert identifying BEC as one of the “most financially damaging” cyber threats.
In addition to millions of dollars in direct losses, BEC attacks can compromise patient care. In a Ponemon Institute study, 67 percent of affected organizations reported a direct impact. In some surveys, healthcare organizations identified BEC as having the highest likelihood of delaying procedures and increasing complications, even surpassing ransomware.
In addition, these attacks are used to steal sensitive information, including personal health information (PHI). While BEC doesn’t involve malware or malicious links, attackers use social engineering to trick healthcare employees into divulging credentials that give them access to systems containing PHI.
Tools and Strategies for Reducing Risk
Addressing these threats starts with education. Healthcare organizations should provide regular security awareness training, with an emphasis on social engineering and fraud prevention. Organizations should also require two authorizations for wire transfers and large payments to reduce the risk of BEC attacks.
Least privilege access principles can limit an attacker’s ability to compromise multiple systems, reducing the scope of a successful breach. Role-based access controls should be used to secure financial systems and sensitive patient information. Multifactor authentication should be used for email access to reduce the risk of phishing and impersonation attacks.
Cerium Networks can help healthcare organizations develop a comprehensive security strategy and implement stronger security controls. We also offer security awareness training that can be customized for each organization’s specific needs and compliance requirements. Our managed security services feature 24×7 monitoring and incident response to identify and stop threats before they impact operations or patient care. Contact us to schedule a confidential consultation with our security experts.
