Cybersecurity in Health Care: Risks and Jobs That Address Them

Key takeaways

• Cybersecurity in health care ensures patient safety and privacy by protecting their personally identifiable information and securing the intellectual property of medical research.

• Cybersecurity risks in health care include patient data breaches, malware, ransomware, and IoT device hacking.

• Cybersecurity is important in health care because it protects the privacy of sensitive patient information, prevents data breaches, and helps reduce risks to patient safety caused by disruptions to medical practices.

Improving cybersecurity in health care involves protecting devices and EHRs with firewalls, pop-up blockers, and data backups, while conducting routine risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and threats. Read on to discover how cybersecurity is interpreted and implemented within the health care industry while also becoming familiar with some jobs in this sector.

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Why is cybersecurity important in health care?

In the health care system, cybersecurity is crucial for protecting the safety and privacy of patient information. Cybersecurity is comparable to a proactive shield, continually adapting to the evolving landscape of cybercrime. Its primary aim is to thwart potential breaches and infiltration that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal data or critical information within interconnected systems such as networks and devices.

Health care organizations are repositories of extensive and sensitive information, such as personally identifying information (PII) and intellectual property associated with medical research and innovation. This makes health care organizations highly appealing targets for cyberattacks. Financial information, such as credit card and bank account numbers, adds another layer of risk.

Corroborating the threats, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reports a notable increase in cyber incidents within the health care sector, with 2025 seeing an all-time high of 804 data breaches impacting over 140 million individuals in the US [1]. Based on data from the first half of 2026, 397 data breaches were reported, affecting the health information of 33.77 million individuals [1]. The repercussions amplify risks to patient safety by causing delays in medical practices, which means you might not be able to receive treatment at a facility during one of these events.

Cybersecurity threats in health care

The advancements that aim to improve patient care and streamline health care processes, such as remote patient monitoring and real-time data sharing, also introduce vulnerabilities that bad actors can exploit. The following list summarizes the top risks affecting health care organizations worldwide:

1. Patient data breach

External hackers, often situated remotely, tactically traverse the digital infrastructure of health care institutions, seeking unauthorized access to patient and medical databases. Exploiting your information from these databases can result in identity theft and financial fraud, such as creating counterfeit medical insurance claims under your name.

2. Malware

Malware, derived from “malicious software,” encompasses a wide range of intrusive software designed to steal information or destroy computer systems. For example, the Trojan horse, a type of malware, can infiltrate a company’s computers through downloads under the guise of a legitimate program.

Malware's overarching goals include extracting sensitive data and causing varying degrees of damage, ranging from disrupting normal computer system operations to outright destruction. According to a 2025 Huntress report, malware accounted for 16 percent of health care cyber threats, malicious scripts for 22 percent, and remote access trojans (RATs) for 7 percent of threats targeting the health care industry in 2024 [2].

3. Ransomware

Ransomware is software that encrypts files to restrict access until a ransom is paid. Typically disseminated through phishing emails, ransomware falls under the broader category of malware.

Once hackers secure the ransom payment, usually in bitcoins, to evade detection, they will decrypt previously blocked or encrypted files. Nevertheless, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discourages you from paying a ransom in response to malware attacks, citing cases where organizations paid but failed to receive a decryption key.

4. IoT device hacking

The Internet of Things (IoT) comprises interconnected physical and software devices ranging from security cameras to smart wearables and implantable medical devices such as pacemakers, which are all potentially vulnerable to hacking. However, weak points in your communication protocols, authentication processes, or other aspects of your IoT infrastructure can provide entry points for potential cyberattacks.

How to improve cybersecurity in health care

Health care organizations can improve cybersecurity by establishing comprehensive cybersecurity strategies that protect all devices to safeguard patients’ medical information. They can achieve this by building firewalls to protect electronic health records (EHRs), installing pop-up blockers, and backing up patient data. Additionally, routine risk assessments can identify vulnerabilities and internal and external threats that may occur.

Jobs that tackle cybersecurity risks in health care

If you find health care cybersecurity intriguing, here are some notable jobs worth considering:

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of October 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

1. Network security analyst

Median total annual salary (US): $149,000 [3]

As a network security analyst, you will help devise and strategize security measures for an organization's computer systems. You will also actively monitor online activity to identify lurking threats within the company's networks, present methods for strengthening network security, analyze trends, assess risks, and apply security tools such as VPNs and firewalls.

2. Cybersecurity incident responder

Median total annual salary (US): $121,000 [4]

As a cybersecurity incident responder, you will be vital to ensuring an immediate response to security hazards and restoring affected services. You'll also be responsible for minimizing losses, creating reports about incidents, and decreasing the risks of subsequent incidents. Alternative titles for this role include incident handler, incident response analyst, and intrusion analyst.

3. Compliance consultant

Median total annual salary (US): $116,000 [5]

As a health care compliance consultant, you’re expected to stay abreast of state and federal health care legislation, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), aimed at safeguarding sensitive patient health information. Your role also involves conducting internal audits to ensure hospital employees adhere to set health care laws and regulations.

4. Medical device cybersecurity specialist

Median total annual salary (US): $145,000 [6]

As a specialist in medical device cybersecurity, you will work toward ensuring the security of medical devices and networks. You'll also help secure firms’ overall IoT infrastructure and systems by addressing vulnerabilities specific to IoT.

5. Malware analyst

Median total annual salary (US): $128,000 [7]

Your predominant task as a malware analyst includes identifying and analyzing the delivery methods of malicious software such as bots, spyware, worms, and rootkits. You may perform reverse engineering to gather threat intelligence upon documenting your analysis. This will aid in formulating a strategic defense plan to tackle recurring attacks.

6. Penetration tester

Median total annual salary (US): $154,000 [8]

As a penetration tester, you will execute authorized cyberattacks on your company's endpoint systems and networks to pinpoint hidden security flaws that a cybercriminal can leverage. Doing so requires you to research evolving hacking mechanisms that challenge the resiliency of medical systems. With research and penetration testing, you can generate security reports and recommend solutions for identified risks.

Read more: 10 Health Care Cybersecurity Jobs

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