Cyber-attacks are a permanent and substantial threat to health systems: Education must reflect that

Abstract

Cyber-attacks on healthcare institutions have increased in recent years and have made headlines through the COVID-19 pandemic. With the fallout of attacks increasingly reported in academic research and in the media, there is a real urgency to address cyber-threats that must be augmented across and within health systems. Until now, clinical healthcare professionals have considered cyber-attacks on healthcare organisations a predominantly information and communication technology issue, but this perception is no longer fit-for-purpose. This commentary provides insights into the scale of cyber-attacks and their impact on staff wellbeing, arguing that cybersecurity education for all staff in healthcare organisations must be improved through online resources, simulation, and gaming. The role of national educators, policymakers, and multilateral organisations in achieving this is outlined alongside implications for future policy and practice.

Keywords: Education; health communications; health informatics; online; technology.

Figure 1.

Summary of threat message activity during a 1-month period reported by Priestman et al. Reproduced under licence: CC BY-NC.