Cisco has outlined five key actions for healthcare organizations in the UAE aimed at enhancing cybersecurity and promoting digital resilience as hospitals and healthcare providers confront increasing risks to patient information.
According to Cisco, the healthcare sector is a major target for cyberattacks worldwide due to the high value of patient records, dependence on outdated technologies, and human errors.
The situation in the UAE is particularly critical due to the rapid digital shift in the industry, with the Department of Health Abu Dhabi already establishing benchmarks through its ADHICS cybersecurity framework.
Fady Younes, Cisco’s regional managing director for cybersecurity across the Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Romania, and CIS, noted that cybersecurity has evolved beyond a mere IT concern and is now integral to patient services and the promotion of digital resilience within healthcare.
Cisco’s Recommended Security Measures for Healthcare Organizations
Healthcare institutions should concentrate on the following five actions:
Recognize outdated IT systems as significant risks: Legacy systems and medical devices represent immediate threats to patient care. Authorities should encourage providers to identify and replace vulnerable outdated infrastructure.
Reevaluate IT budgeting strategies: Hospitals require flexibility in their capital and operational expenditure to implement subscription-based cybersecurity solutions, as advised by Cisco.
Elevate cybersecurity training as a crucial priority: All staff members should participate in regular, industry-specific training, including drills to ensure continuity of care during system outages.
Promote collaboration and resource sharing: Smaller hospitals that do not have dedicated cybersecurity teams can benefit from forming regional alliances, participating in joint drills, and sharing intelligence on threats.
Focus on safeguarding electronic health records (EHRs): EHRs must adhere to stringent security protocols, including encryption, access management, and interoperability protections, to avert data breaches.
Cisco emphasized that establishing a resilient healthcare ecosystem necessitates collective efforts from governments, regulatory bodies, providers, and technology partners to foster a culture of security and collaboratively tackle systemic risks.