Healthcare IT teams are under mounting pressure. As cybercrime grows more sophisticated, the cost of protecting sensitive health data continues to rise. High-profile breaches—like last year’s Change Healthcare attack—have demonstrated just how vulnerable the industry remains, while economic uncertainty is forcing organizations to make difficult decisions about IT resourcing and cybersecurity investments.
In short: Protecting patient data from smarter, more damaging cyberattacks is an ever-moving target—one that requires both strategic investment and proactive risk management.
To help healthcare leaders navigate these challenges, our 2025 Trend Report outlines the five key forces shaping healthcare IT and cybersecurity today. Inside, you’ll find expert guidance and actionable strategies to optimize your IT spending while fortifying your organization against evolving threats.
Growth and Evolution of Cyber Threats:
- Cyberattacks grew from 88% (2023) to 92% (2024). (p. 7)
- AI is transforming cybersecurity by enhancing defense capabilities and introducing new vulnerabilities. (p. 8)
- Vendors are often the weakest link – watch for lack of password policies, inadequate term procedures, and resistance to external network scans. (p. 9)
- IT experts across industries agree – minimizing total attack surface and mandating robust staff training are critical to defending against cyber threats in 2025. (p. 10)
Integrating AI into Workflows:
- GenAI is already contributing to lower staff burden and burnout rates via call center operations, clinical documentation support, and imaging analysis. (p. 13)
- Always begin integration by focusing on three foundational elements: infrastructure readiness, data accessibility, and cybersecurity. (p. 14)
Cybersecurity Workforce Challenges:
- Understaffed organizations face breach costs averaging $1.76 million higher than those with adequate security teams. (p. 16)
- Fractional staffing is a cost-effective option for accessing critical expertise – especially in security monitoring & incident response, database admin & ops, and high-level IT strategy. (p. 17)
Economic Pressures:
- Costs likely won’t go down on their own, meaning successful healthcare organizations need to engage in ongoing IT budget optimization (think: regular expense audits, scalable cloud services, workload automation). (p. 19)
Growth in Hybrid Cloud Approaches:
- Cloud tech can markedly improve recovery time, reliability, and accessibility, but 71% of healthcare IT leaders prefer on-prem solutions due to cloud security concerns. (p. 21)
- Consider these four factors when trying to make a “cloud-smart” decision – (i) hybrid cloud options offer security and scalability, (ii) infrastructure audits align cloud strategy with workload demands, (iii) some AI-based tools improve clinical and operational efficiency, (iv) edge computing can increase care access and quality. (p. 23).
Download the 2025 Healthcare IT Guide.
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