Healthcare Trends in 2025: Worries over Mobile Threats, Progress in AI, and Concerns about Third-Party Hazards
Fran Rosch is the head honcho at Imprivata, a company specializing in digital identities for critical industries like healthcare and life-saving missions. Despite substantial investments in cybersecurity, a 2024 Health and Human Services report revealed a gigantic 264% surge in ransomware attacks on health systems over the past five years. This sector spends the most among all industries in fixing these issues, with each data breach in healthcare costing an astronomical $9.7 million on average.
These attacks not only disrupt patient care but also pose risks to safety, violate compliance rules, and negatively impact reputation. As this landscape keeps evolving in 2025, these issues are likely to worsen unless organizations can navigate cybersecurity more effectively, all while dealing with limited funds and resources.
Innovation through simpler, budget-friendly solutions will be key for IT and security leaders in the healthcare sector. Passwordless authentication, mobile devices, artificial intelligence (AI), and third-party security solutions are growing in popularity due to their potential for improving security without breaking the bank.
Rise in Health IT Budgets and Emphasis on Digital Maturity
I tuned into the CHIME24 Fall Forum, a conducive gathering for digital health leaders where they discuss ways to boost the healthcare sector. In this event, CHIME shared its 2024 National Trends Report, highlighting the digital health progress in the US. The report projected an increased focus on IT budgets, cybersecurity, and infrastructure, with technology use expanding to enhance health outcomes and operational efficiency.
When I engaged with healthcare professionals about their challenges and plans, I noticed a consistent theme: the demand for straightforward yet effective security solutions.
With increased health IT budgets, organizations must not only invest in technology but do so strategically to cater to the industry's unique complexities.
Enhancing Efficiency, Mobility, and Security
A 2024 Verizon study showed an uptick in mobile malware and phishing attacks plaguing devices, as criminals exploit the weaker defenses on these platforms. This is a concern for IT and security leaders, especially since 64% of healthcare organizations struggle to safeguard data and privacy by securing devices between uses, according to a 2024 Ponemon Institute research report sponsored by the same sources.
Security measures must ensure access to protected health information (PHI) without hampering clinical workflows. Achieving this balance is a delicate task, as security protocols effective in other sectors may not work effectively in the healthcare environment. The Ponemon report revealed that only 40% of healthcare organizations consider the user experience on mobile devices satisfactory.
AI Innovation in the Spotlight
GenAI, a time-saving tool used in various ways like clinical decision-making and predictive analysis, has gained widespread popularity. However, GenAI raises concerns about data privacy breaches due to the large amounts of sensitive patient data required to utilize it.
All forms of AI are becoming increasingly popular in healthcare, underscoring the importance of educating the public about the risks and opportunities associated with it. For instance, AI and machine learning (ML) tools can help improve threat detection and response times. But with many unknowns surrounding this new technology, any AI strategy must be carefully tailored to meet the unique cybersecurity and compliance needs of the healthcare sector, taking into account stringent regulatory requirements like HIPAA.
Vendor Security Across the Board
The CHIME report underscores the need for improved vendor security in healthcare, as recent supply chain attacks have demonstrated. Given the global shortages of healthcare staff and other resources, healthcare relies heavily on external assistance from vendors, partners, and contractors. Each interaction with these external entities introduces potential vulnerabilities, making it crucial for third-party providers to adhere to stringent cybersecurity practices. In 2022, 56% of organizations reported having experienced a third-party data breach. Despite the acknowledged risk, more than half of organizations still lack effective controls for mitigating third-party access risk.
Embracing the Security Challenges of Tomorrow Today
As healthcare organizations revamp their tech strategies to suit the trends of 2025, it is essential for IT and security teams to collaborate closely with clinicians during this process. This collaboration is crucial to ensure any technology deployed to enhance security meets the unique clinical workflow needs required for patient care.
For instance, while complex passwords are a common cybersecurity best practice, they hinder clinicians—who access electronic health records (EHR) systems and other applications numerous times per shift—by slowing down the access process. This can introduce barriers and frustrations.
To overcome these challenges, IT teams should focus on solutions that streamline and secure access, such as passwordless authentication. Ensuring an access management strategy capable of enforcing identity-based security policies, monitoring device usage, and ensuring compliance can aid in achieving this goal.
Tools leveraging AI and ML can also empower organizations to make informed decisions about workflow improvements by providing insights into user behaviors and system usage. This includes addressing failed login attempts, adoption issues, and user efficiency, all of which can help track security risks, drive technology adoption, and reduce IT operational costs. This, in turn, contributes to a more efficient and effective healthcare system.
To tackle the risks that increased vendor reliance may bring, healthcare establishments need to implement a wide-ranging vendor access management plan. This involves a stringent vetting and procurement procedure, followed by an extensive security evaluation for any new vendor. Reducing risk can also be achieved through vendor consolidation when suitable, alongside the application of tight access controls, monitoring of third-party activities, and adopting the 'least privilege access' principle.
Adopting a tactical, cooperative approach, the healthcare sector can create a robust shield that safeguards patient data, fulfills compliance requirements, and maintains faith—protecting patient care and upholding organizational prestige.
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