Vital Signs Critical: Why Healthcare IT Can’t Afford to Flatline on Cybersecurity

The prognosis for healthcare IT in 2025 is sounding alarms. A new report from Omega Systems reveals a sector under siege: cyberattacks are surging, legacy systems are cracking, and internal IT teams are buckling under pressure. Despite all this, cybersecurity remains an afterthought in too many healthcare boardrooms.

The 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, which surveyed 250 healthcare executives across hospitals, clinics, and health systems, underscores the growing disconnect between perceived readiness and actual resilience. Eight in ten organizations were targeted by at least one cyberattack in the past year. Yet many still rely on outdated systems and insufficient internal staffing to manage increasingly sophisticated threats.

“Cybersecurity in healthcare is not simply a check-the-box initiative,” said Ben Tercha, COO at Omega Systems. “It requires extraordinary diligence to ensure systems, teams, and processes can hold up under pressure. And unfortunately, that effort is more challenging than ever, as we recently saw in our survey... Right now, there is a clear disconnect between how prepared organizations think they are and what’s actually happening on the ground.”

When Budget Cuts Meet Ransomware

While ransomware operators double down on healthcare—knowing downtime could mean life-threatening delays—the report finds many institutions are pulling back on cybersecurity investments. A combination of soaring operational costs and regulatory pressures is diverting attention and funding from critical security needs.

Tercha warns, “Too many still rely on outdated infrastructure, have limited internal bandwidth, and underutilize tools to manage modern threats… Healthcare leaders should see this as a warning. The stakes are no longer hypothetical. Breaches are disrupting care, damaging trust, and exposing the cracks in how healthcare organizations manage risk.”

The Burnout Factor

Adding to the risk is human fatigue. IT teams are reporting burnout at levels mirroring frontline healthcare staff. Long hours, constant threat monitoring, and under-resourced departments have become the norm, not the exception.

Compounding the problem is a chronic staffing shortage of cybersecurity specialists. Many organizations are struggling to hire or retain talent, let alone build the 24/7 monitoring and response capabilities needed to keep up with today's threat landscape.

The Case for Managed Security

The report points to a growing solution: outsourcing. Data shows healthcare organizations that partner with managed security service providers (MSSPs) are not only more resilient but also faster to detect and respond to threats.

“Closing gaps in visibility and response requires not only a modern toolset, but a thoughtful strategy and experienced support,” Tercha emphasized. “Data shows organizations working with managed security service providers are better prepared… As risks continue to evolve, healthcare leaders should strongly consider outsourced or co-managed partnerships.”

Conclusion: A Sector at a Crossroads

Healthcare is arguably one of the most targeted—and least prepared—sectors when it comes to cybersecurity. It’s also one where consequences are immediate and often irreversible. Patient trust, safety, and care continuity are all on the line.

The message from Omega Systems is clear: healthcare must shift from reactive defense to proactive strategy. The cost of doing nothing isn’t just financial—it’s existential.