{"id":178255,"date":"2026-01-14T15:53:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T20:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/14\/how-hospital-ceos-can-build-cybersecurity-resilience\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T16:00:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T21:00:12","slug":"how-hospital-ceos-can-build-cybersecurity-resilience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/14\/how-hospital-ceos-can-build-cybersecurity-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"How Hospital CEOs Can Build Cybersecurity Resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"

How Hospital CEOs Can Build Cybersecurity Resilience<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.healthleadersmedia.com\/ceo\/how-hospital-ceos-can-build-cybersecurity-resilience<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-01-14 15:53:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: www.healthleadersmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. Through preparedness and response planning, leaders give their organizations a better chance of withstanding and recovering from cyberattacks.<\/p>\n

One of the last problems a hospital or health system CEO wants to run into is a data breach capable of compromising an entire organization. And yet, cyberattacks against hospitals are becoming more frequent, more sophisticated, and more disruptive.What were once isolated incidents have evolved into organized, well-funded attacks that are increasingly exploitative. At the same time, AI and widely available attack tools have lowered the barrier to entry, making phishing and social engineering harder to detect.In HealthLeaders\u2019 The Winning Edge for Cybersecurity this week, Grande Ronde Hospital president and CEO Jeremy Davis spoke on the evolution of cyber threats on hospitals and how it\u2019s putting the onus on leaders to adapt.\u201cWe operate complex, interconnected networks and environments,\u00a0oftentimes with legacy systems and medical devices that often can’t be patched quickly,\u201d Davis said. \u201cAnd in healthcare, we have a pretty low tolerance for downtime, patients don’t stop showing up, births still happen, emergencies still happen. So there’s a real urgency placed on healthcare providers, given that we have a data-rich environment that makes us very attractive to threat actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

That reality makes the risk of a cyber incident a matter of when, not if, necessitating that hospital CEOs rethink their defenses.<\/p>\n

Shift from prevention to recovery<\/p>\n

While prevention remains critical, Davis said leaders must accept that attacks are inevitable, which will allow them to prioritize the areas where attention is most needed.\u201cNo organization can block every attack,\u201d Davis said. \u201cRecovery is the most critical piece.\u201dFor CEOs, that means reframing cybersecurity as an enterprise-wide resilience issue rather than a technical one. Instead of focusing solely on how to stop threats, leaders must think about how quickly operations can be restored, how care can continue safely during disruptions, and how to limit long-term damage.\u201cThe mindset for CEOs and administrators isn\u2019t so much how do we prevent attacks,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIt\u2019s how do we get back up quickly and continue to fulfill our mission and take care of our patients and our staff and our community.\u201dCyber incidents, he highlighted, have far-reaching consequences, affecting clinical workflows and public trust. \u201cThis really isn\u2019t just an IT issue,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIt impacts the entire organization and the community and the broader public.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start with governance and executive alignment<\/p>\n

Effective response begins long before a cyber incident occurs, Davis stated, and it starts at the governance level. CEOs must ensure boards understand cyber risk and are prepared to support investments and preparedness efforts, even as many organizations operate under financial strain.\u201cIt really starts at your board of trustees,\u201d Davis said. \u201cMaking sure that your board is well informed and is willing to support the efforts, both administratively and financially.\u201d<\/p>\n

That includes difficult conversations about technology upgrades and vulnerabilities, particularly for rural hospitals and smaller systems with limited resources. \u201cThe reality is, I don\u2019t think you can avoid investing,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIf these systems aren\u2019t functioning, you\u2019re just not going to exist.\u201dRegular communication with CIOs, informatics leaders, and security professionals is critical, as is bringing in outside experts to identify blind spots. \u201cYou can get comfortable with your own processes,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIt\u2019s always nice to have somebody from the outside that can come take a look.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lead decisively in the first 48 hours<\/p>\n

When a cyber incident occurs, Davis said the CEO\u2019s initial responsibility in the first 24 to 48 hours is to protect patients and staff while ensuring continuity of care.\u201cOur mission doesn\u2019t change during an incident or an emergency,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re still a hospital.\u201dThat means quickly activating business continuity plans, downtime workflows, and manual processes, especially in departments that don\u2019t routinely operate without electronic systems.\u201cWhen it comes to preparing for a cyberattack and recovery, it\u2019s those departments that don\u2019t deal with downtimes as frequently that you want to especially focus your attention on,\u201d Davis said.The CEO\u2019s role during this period, he added, is to coordinate leadership, support decision-making under pressure, and engage external partners as needed.<\/p>\n

Communicate early and clearly <\/p>\n

During a cyber incident, how leaders communicate can either stabilize an organization or deepen confusion and mistrust. Davis emphasized that clear, consistent messaging, both internally and externally, is essential, particularly in the earliest hours of a breach.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeadership\u2019s focus [needs] to be on simple, honest, and empathetic messaging,\u201d Davis said, noting that inconsistent or conflicting information can quickly undermine confidence. While details may still be emerging, CEOs should reinforce that preparedness plans are in place and that the organization is actively responding.He also stressed the importance of structure. Activating an incident command system and leveraging public information officers can help organizations manage media inquiries and external scrutiny while keeping staff and patients informed.\u201cDesignating a single spokesperson is critical in that situation,\u201d Davis said. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of the command structure\u2026 to help that communication not erode trust and build that confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Use tabletop exercises to build muscle memory<\/p>\n

Tabletop exercises are increasingly central to building cyber resilience, Davis noted, particularly as hospitals shift preparedness efforts away from rare disaster scenarios and toward routine cybersecurity planning.\u201cWe\u2019re finding that more and more of our tabletops and planning exercises are around cybersecurity and downtime procedures,\u201d he said.Davis pointed to growing collaboration among hospitals, including virtual participation in other organizations\u2019 tabletop exercises, as a way to share ideas and improve readiness across the industry. That kind of cross-pollination is especially valuable for rural hospitals, which face different constraints than large urban systems.\u201cOrganizations that practice their incident response, test their disaster recovery, train their staff, and understand their own weaknesses are going to be able to recover faster,\u201d Davis said. \u201cYou have to practice. You have to have that muscle memory.\u201dAre you an executive\u00a0leader interested in attending an upcoming event? To inquire about attending the HealthLeaders Exchange event, email us at\u00a0exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.The HealthLeaders Exchange is an executive community for sharing ideas, solutions, and insights. Please join the community at the\u00a0LinkedIn\u00a0page.<\/p>\n

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