Third-party security threats remain one of the most critical risks facing the healthcare sector. But now the increasing use of artificial intelligence by vendors adds a new layer of third-party concerns, said independent consultant Rick Doten, former healthplan CISO at Centene Corp.

Healthcare data breaches are becoming more frequent but smaller in scale, targeting smaller entities and high-value credentials and records - and AI is reshaping both the attack landscape and fraud patterns, said Jim Van Dyke, senior principal of innovation at TransUnion.

Preparing a healthcare workforce to responsibly engage with AI tools without over relying on automation or undermining human oversight will require awareness training akin to phishing exercises, said Skip Sorrels, field CTO and CISO at security firm Claroty.

Smart eyewear such as Meta-AI Ray Ban glasses - which sport microphones, cameras and can connect to artificial intelligence - pose emerging patient privacy and other risks especially when worn in healthcare settings, said Garrett Zickgraf of consulting firm LBMC.

Boards are becoming increasingly focused on understanding the mechanics and implications of agentic artificial intelligence, but traditional governance processes aren't built for the speed and complexity of today's AI-driven innovation cycles, said JoAnn Stonier, former chief data and AI officer at Mastercard.

Organizations are adopting agentic artificial intelligence as the next phase of AI. Kim Basile, CIO of Kyndryl, explains how organizations can prepare teams to work with agentic AI, emphasizing culture, training and governance as the crucial drivers of AI readiness and adoption.

New York State's stringent new cybersecurity requirements for many hospitals will have a ripple effect, raising the security bar and expectations for healthcare providers across many other states, predicts Chris Stucker, deputy CISO at Wisconsin-based Froedtert ThedaCare Health.

Rural and small community hospitals are continuing to face growing cyber challenges driven by limited and shrinking resources, staffing shortages, and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, said Jackie Mattingly, senior director at privacy and security consulting firm Clearwater.

While information blocking regulations were authorized under the 21st Century Cures Act nearly a decade ago, regulators are only starting to ramp up enforcement of the prohibited practices. Attorney Nan Halstead of Reed Smith explains critical steps organizations need to take to comply.

Microsegmentation no longer remains a buzzword. In today's threat landscape, organizations are adopting it as a frontline defense against cyberattacks and higher cyber insurance premiums. About 90% of organizations are using some form of segmentation, according to Akamai's 2025 Segmentation Impact Study.