On this episode of Health Stealth Radio, host Frank Cutitta sits down with Carter Groome, CEO of First Health Advisory, for an illuminating discussion on the current state of healthcare cybersecurity amid political and economic uncertainty.
Groome, whose company serves nearly one-sixth of the nation’s hospitals, reveals a troubling trend: a significant uptick in cyberattacks targeting healthcare organizations. From business email compromise to brute force attacks and social engineering schemes, threat actors appear to be exploiting the current administrative transition period and its accompanying uncertainty around cybersecurity policy.
“We don’t know their stance on CISA. We don’t know what the FBI’s involvement will be going forward in cyber ops,” Groome explains, highlighting how this policy vacuum is creating anxiety across the healthcare sector.
The conversation also delves into broader economic concerns, with Groome noting the potential impact of projected $880 billion cuts to healthcare funding. For already financially vulnerable facilities operating on razor-thin margins, particularly rural hospitals and federally qualified health centers, these cuts could be devastating.
Despite these challenges, Groome sees positive developments in executive awareness. The cyber incidents of 2024, particularly the Change Healthcare attack, have elevated cybersecurity to a business imperative at the board level. Conversations with CFOs have evolved from complex discussions about brand equity to straightforward questions about operational resilience: “How long can you go without making money?”
The episode offers valuable insights on the intersection of cybersecurity and business continuity planning, the importance of enterprise-wide resilience strategies, and the potential of AI to both combat and exacerbate cybersecurity challenges.
For healthcare leaders navigating today’s volatile cybersecurity landscape, this candid conversation provides essential perspective on protecting both patient safety and organizational viability.
Listen to the Conversation
About the Show
Insights from the Shadows of Enterprise and Patient Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity and Privacy have become increasingly complicated not only from a technology perspective but also regarding the purely human responses needed to data breaches. Most healthcare systems don’t care to share insights on how their cybersecurity systems were cracked, and even fewer wish to share how they got their data back whether through sleuth technology or by direct financial negotiations using cryptocurrencies. Join host Frank Cutitta on Health Stealth Radio and his guests as they discuss the more covert and edgy aspects of healthcare security that can’t always be found in vendor sales brochures or the enterprise breach response playbooks of CISOs.
About the Host
Frank Cutitta
Frank has over 40 years of experience in the media, information technology, and healthcare industries. Over the years he launched some of the most iconic IT media brands in 90 countries including Computerworld, PC World, Network World, and CIO. His international career then led him to work in the intelligence sector during his time in the former USSR and Cuba. In addition to being a graduate professor of healthcare informatics and communications, he serves on the board of JBJS, the world’s leading orthopedic journal, and as Co-Chair of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network’s Patient Family Advisory Council. He previously served on the Global Board for HIMSS for 6 years. Connect with Frank on LinkedIn Frank Cutitta.
