Dan Dodson hosts Drex DeFord, a leader in healthcare cybersecurity, to discuss the evolution and current state of cybersecurity in healthcare. Drex shares his career journey from a hospital administrator in the Air Force to leading roles in various healthcare organizations and consulting for tech companies. He describes how the rapid digitization of healthcare, particularly through electronic health record (EHR) adoption and the lack of simultaneous investment in cybersecurity, led to an expanded risk landscape and new threats like ransomware.

The conversation covers the unintended consequences of digitization, including physician burnout, and weighs whether these changes were “worth it”—both agree that overall care has improved. They discuss the rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare, its promise for improving clinical care, and the double-edged sword it presents from a security perspective. Drex emphasizes the importance of organizational awareness, responsible AI adoption, and ongoing education.

Another major topic is the creation of strong professional communities (such as the 229 project) where cybersecurity leaders and partners can candidly share challenges and solutions, fostering both personal relationships and collective resilience. Current pressing issues include AI, third-party vendor risk management, and maintaining continuity of care when electronic systems fail. They highlight the challenges of prioritizing essential systems (“minimum viable hospital”) and the political difficulties in governance.

Progress is noted in industry awareness, stronger data sharing, and board-level engagement in cybersecurity, but resource constraints and increasing complexity remain challenges. Drex concludes by advocating for ongoing collaboration, fundamentals in security practice, and leveraging technology and communities for better patient outcomes. Listeners are encouraged to connect via the 229 project and related platforms.

Dan Dodson interviews Dr. Bradley Fowler, author of “Cybersecurity Leadership for Healthcare Organizations and Institutions of Higher Education,” discussing the pressing cybersecurity workforce shortages and the role of education and leadership in addressing risks. Dr. Fowler shares insights from his research, emphasizing human error as a major cause of breaches and the critical need for robust policy compliance and updated training in healthcare. He introduces frameworks that support risk management and highlights collaboration, ongoing education, and the integration of industrial-organizational psychology as central to effective cybersecurity. His book is intended for IT professionals, managers, and anyone leveraging technology in modern workplaces .

This episode distills memorable insights from six months of interviews with healthcare cybersecurity leaders and clinicians. The five lessons: focus on fundamentals over flashy tech (Phil Alexander), ensure leadership at all levels (Chrissi Maguire), rely on preparation and people during outages (Katrina Brown), recognize every cyber event as a patient safety issue (Dr. Jeffery Tully), and cultivate strong governance and organizational culture (Stephen Ramirez). These frontline stories emphasize that effective cybersecurity in healthcare is built on resilience, teamwork, and a relentless commitment to patient safety and organizational culture.

What happens when artificial intelligence starts making healthcare decisions faster than humans can review them? Dr. Ali Dehghantanha’s Professor and Canadian Research Chair in Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence, takes us on a fascinating journey through the evolving landscape of healthcare cybersecurity where self-healing AI systems may soon become our frontline defenders.

The cybersecurity battlefield shifts constantly. From database security to cloud protection to today's AI systems, Dr. Dehghantanha explains why "the only thing constant in cybersecurity is change." This rapid evolution creates unique challenges for healthcare organizations trying to protect patient data while embracing transformative technologies. As healthcare increasingly relies on AI for clinical decision support, the cybersecurity stakes have never been higher.

Dr. Dehghantanha’s groundbreaking research focuses on self-healing AI systems that automatically detect and repair vulnerabilities without human intervention. This capability becomes critical in healthcare environments where AI analyzes clinical data and makes treatment recommendations at speeds beyond human oversight capabilities. The self-healing component provides essential guardrails against potentially harmful decisions that exceed the system's design parameters.

Cultural and socioeconomic factors significantly influence AI adoption in healthcare. Less-regulated regions and underserved communities often embrace AI healthcare solutions more readily when traditional medical resources are scarce. This accelerates adoption but raises critical questions about verification and potential exploitation by adversaries. As patients increasingly trust AI-generated medical advice, these systems become prime targets for sophisticated cyberattacks that could manipulate clinical recommendations.

Join us for this thought-provoking conversation about the delicate balance between AI innovation and security in healthcare. Dr. Ali challenges us to consider not just how we implement AI, but how we protect these systems when they become responsible for life-or-death decisions. The future of healthcare cybersecurity lies at this intersection of human expertise, artificial intelligence, and robust security frameworks.

Dan Dodson and cybersecurity expert T.J. Ramsey discussed the escalation of ransomware attacks in healthcare, emphasizing that ransomware is a form of extortion malware used primarily for financial gain, with attackers operating like organized crime syndicates. Ramsey traced his journey from military intelligence to cybersecurity, explained the operational and financial pressures making healthcare a vulnerable target, and described the typical sequence and negotiation process of a ransomware attack—from initial triage and threat actor communications to the challenges in paying ransoms. Throughout, both stressed patient safety, expectation management, and the emotional toll on executives during crises.

Dr. Jeff Tulley, a board-certified physician and co-director of the UCSD Center for Healthcare Cybersecurity, discusses the intersection of healthcare and cybersecurity. He highlights the benefits of digitization in healthcare, such as clinical decision support and interoperability, but also acknowledges the increased attack surface. Tulley's research focuses on the impact of technology failures on patient outcomes, particularly during ransomware attacks. He emphasizes the need for resilience in clinical settings and the importance of evidence-based cybersecurity practices. Tulley also discusses the challenges of phishing training effectiveness and the potential of AI in both clinical and cybersecurity contexts.

Our center website: https://cyberhealth.ucsd.edu/

Our October Academic Symposium registration page: https://cyberhealth.ucsd.edu/events/2025-academic-symposium/index.html

Join us in this compelling episode of the Cyber Security Podcast as we sit down with Scott Augenbaum, a former FBI agent with a distinguished career in cybersecurity spanning back to 1988.

Augenbaum takes us on a fascinating journey through the evolution of cybercrime, from its early days of thrill-seeking individuals to today's highly organized and sophisticated transnational threats. He reveals the stark reality of cybercrime's massive escalation, now a staggering $10 trillion global problem, and sheds light on the significant hurdles law enforcement faces in recovering stolen data.

Discover why proactive measures are paramount in protecting yourself and your organization. Augenbaum stresses the critical importance of simple yet effective steps like freezing your credit and enabling two-factor authentication. He passionately advocates for better end-user education and the seamless integration of cybersecurity into organizational culture as fundamental defenses against relentless cyberattacks.

We also explore the burgeoning role of Artificial Intelligence in amplifying cyber threats and the absolute necessity of robust personal cybersecurity measures in our increasingly digital world. Don't miss this insightful conversation that will empower you to better understand and defend against the ever-present dangers of the cyber landscape.

In this episode, Chief Nursing Officer Katrina Brown recounts her experience managing a cyberattack at USA Health Providence Hospital. The attack severely impacted the hospital's Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and other critical systems, leading to a significant decrease in efficiency and a necessary reduction in patient census. Brown highlights the crucial role of strong leadership and well-practiced downtime procedures, noting the unexpected challenges like nurses' inability to read cursive doctor's orders and the use of cowbells as a call light system. Despite the month-long disruption, the hospital maintained patient safety with no serious incidents. The community's self-diversion to other hospitals was an unforeseen outcome, and patient trust was quickly regained post-recovery. Brown emphasizes that the benefits of digitized healthcare outweigh the cyber risks, advocating for robust preparation and frequent downtime drills for all healthcare organizations.