Holistic IT security for resilient hospitals

Maintaining or quickly restoring operational capability is crucial to prevent major damage. Due to the increasing frequency and complexity of such attacks, as well as the high potential for harm, IT security has become a central leadership responsibility. The NIS-2 Directive further increases the pressure: in the event of security failures, executive management is personally liable. A resilient and future-proof hospital requires a holistic IT security architecture that integrates people, technology, and processes.

An Attack with Consequences

The impact on patient care can be severe—ranging from digital system outages to canceled surgeries, and even potential fatalities. According to the NIS-2 Directive, executive management faces serious consequences for their own failings, being both legally and financially liable.

A Matter of Highest Strategic Relevance

A holistic IT security architecture not only forms the basis for high cyber resilience—i.e., the ability of hospitals to prevent, withstand, and recover from attacks—but also lays the foundation for digital transformation. Forward-looking healthcare delivery models require a secure IT environment. Given the strategic importance, strict legal requirements, and high damage potential, the implementation of IT security architecture must be anchored at the highest level of leadership—IT security is a matter for top management.

Caught Between Investment Pressure and Resource Shortages

Many hospitals are under financial strain, making major investments in IT security difficult. Additionally, there is a lack of IT specialists and modern, integrated IT infrastructure. The consequences of this reality are sobering: on average, it takes 212 days to detect a cyberattack. Given the circumstances, comprehensive 24/7 monitoring is not feasible. Cybercriminals specifically exploit vulnerabilities on weekends and outside regular business hours.

Holistic IT Security Architecture as the Solution

A holistic IT security architecture integrates technology, users, and clearly defined processes across the organization. Security tools form the foundation, while users actively contribute to the solution.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation offer valuable technical solutions: by building an automated, intelligent Security Operations Center (SOC) that centrally manages cybersecurity, a proactive security strategy can be implemented. Transitioning from a fragmented security landscape to a modern SOC with limited resources requires a phased and well-prioritized approach. Given the high complexity of IT security, hospitals should involve an experienced partner who offers interface expertise, infrastructure, and comprehensive security tools from a single source.

However, intelligent security tools alone are not enough: emergency processes must be clearly defined and systematically documented.

“In order to respond effectively in the event of an attack, emergency scenarios must be regularly practiced at both the IT and user levels. A cross-departmental approach is essential: detecting an attack is of little use if damage control measures are missing or implemented too slowly.”