In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, the healthcare sector faces increasing cyber threats driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). While technology like AI holds tremendous promise for revolutionizing healthcare—from patient diagnosis to personalized treatments—it also opens doors for new types of attacks, notably deepfakes and AI-enabled cyberattacks. For healthcare organizations, this emerging frontier presents a critical challenge: how to prepare a workforce that can recognize, defend against, and mitigate these complex threats.

Let’s take a closer look at the unique ways deepfakes and AI are impacting cybersecurity in healthcare and the essential steps healthcare workforces can take to prepare.

What Are Deepfakes and AI-Enabled Cyberattacks?

Deepfakes are AI-generated images, videos, or audio recordings that mimic real individuals with remarkable accuracy. While initially popularized in entertainment, deepfakes have since found more insidious uses. Bad actors can use deepfakes to impersonate trusted figures, manipulate public opinion, or even gain unauthorized access to secure systems by mimicking voiceprints or facial recognition data.

AI-enabled cyberattacks, on the other hand, leverage machine learning algorithms to enhance traditional forms of hacking. These attacks can be more targeted, faster, and more difficult to detect. For example, AI can be used to improve phishing attacks by personalizing them, bypassing traditional security protocols, or even analyzing a system’s defenses to identify weaknesses before deploying an attack.

Why Are These Threats Concerning for Healthcare?

Healthcare organizations hold vast amounts of sensitive data, from patient records to payment information, making them lucrative targets for cybercriminals. Furthermore, the industry is increasingly digitized, with medical devices, telehealth, and electronic health records (EHR) making it more vulnerable. Given the potential for deepfakes to facilitate identity fraud and AI to automate sophisticated attacks, healthcare must urgently address these vulnerabilities.

Here’s why deepfakes and AI-enabled cyberattacks should be a top priority:

  • Erosion of Trust: In healthcare, trust is paramount. Patients must trust providers with personal health information, while staff must trust each other to operate effectively. Deepfakes have the potential to erode this trust by enabling impersonation or the spread of disinformation.
  • Increased Attack Sophistication: Traditional phishing emails or data breaches are dangerous, but AI-enabled attacks can be more effective. By using machine learning to craft highly personalized phishing messages, attackers increase their chances of success.
  • Potential for Real-Time Damage: A cyberattack in healthcare isn’t just about lost data—it can impact real-world health outcomes. Imagine a cyberattack on a hospital’s medical devices that disrupts patient treatment schedules or a deepfake that sends out fake emergency messages, causing widespread panic. The stakes in healthcare are higher than most industries.

Preparing Healthcare Workforces: The Essential Steps

Training healthcare workers to recognize and respond to deepfakes and AI-enabled cyberattacks is essential, yet challenging. Here’s a roadmap for developing a well-prepared, AI-aware healthcare workforce:

1. Awareness Training: The First Line of Defense

The best defense is an informed team. Healthcare professionals may not be cybersecurity experts, but they should understand the risks posed by AI-driven threats. Awareness training should be a foundational part of every healthcare organization’s cybersecurity strategy.

  • Focus on Recognizing Deepfakes: Training staff to identify deepfakes isn’t straightforward, but it’s possible with practice. Interactive exercises can help employees detect anomalies in videos or audio. For instance, unusual blinking patterns, mismatched audio-visual sync, or robotic tones in voice can be cues.
  • Distinguishing Phishing from Personalized AI Attacks: Phishing emails and messages are a common threat in healthcare, but AI-enabled attacks are now capable of targeting individuals with tailored messages. Staff should be encouraged to scrutinize emails and messages closely, paying attention to even subtle inconsistencies or unexpected requests.

2. Implement Advanced Security Protocols

It’s not just the workforce that needs training; healthcare organizations also need to ensure they’re using the latest cybersecurity tools and protocols.

  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA is essential to prevent unauthorized access, especially in a setting where deepfakes could attempt to spoof biometric data. Implementing MFA can add layers of security, making it harder for cybercriminals to bypass systems.
  • AI-Powered Detection Systems: Fight AI with AI. Healthcare facilities should invest in cybersecurity tools that leverage AI to detect and respond to threats. These tools can continuously analyze data patterns and flag unusual activity, allowing security teams to take action before an attack escalates.

3. Implement Regular Cybersecurity Drills

The only way to be prepared for a deepfake or AI-enabled attack is through practice. Regular drills allow healthcare staff to experience a simulated attack and learn how to respond effectively.

  • Simulate Deepfake Attacks: Create exercises where staff members have to identify potential deepfakes in different scenarios—be it a video message from a ‘senior executive’ or a voice recording instructing them to perform a task. These drills can build familiarity with signs of tampering.
  • Run Phishing Simulations with AI-generated Messages: Cybersecurity teams can create phishing simulations that mimic AI-generated attacks. Staff members who click on these simulated links can be given immediate feedback and training to understand the error and improve their vigilance.

4. Build a Multi-Disciplinary Cybersecurity Team

Defending against deepfakes and AI-enabled cyberattacks requires collaboration across departments. A multi-disciplinary team, bringing together IT, cybersecurity, HR, and even clinical staff, can improve an organization’s security posture.

  • Incorporate Cybersecurity in HR Processes: HR plays a crucial role in building a resilient workforce. From onboarding to ongoing training, HR can ensure every employee is well-versed in cybersecurity basics, including recognizing suspicious behavior, adhering to data privacy policies, and understanding the implications of deepfakes.
  • Leverage Clinical Insights: Clinicians and other healthcare providers have unique insights into normal operations and interactions with patients. Involving them in cybersecurity discussions can reveal vulnerabilities that IT staff might overlook, especially as they relate to patient interactions and clinical processes.

5. Develop a Rapid Response Protocol

When it comes to AI-enabled attacks, speed is crucial. A rapid response protocol can make the difference between containing an attack and suffering significant damage.

  • Immediate Isolation Measures: For any suspected attack, such as a deepfake or compromised device, there should be a protocol to quickly isolate affected systems from the network to prevent the spread of malicious activity.
  • Public Communication Plans: In the event of a deepfake that spreads misinformation about an organization, it’s essential to have a plan for swift public communication. This may include notifying patients, staff, and the media about the incident and clarifying any misinformation.

6. Collaborate with Cybersecurity Partners and Agencies

The healthcare industry should partner with cybersecurity experts, local government, and industry groups to stay ahead of emerging threats. Regularly consulting these partners can help healthcare facilities access the latest research, insights, and tools for dealing with AI-based cyber threats.

  • Participate in Information Sharing Networks: Platforms like the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (H-ISAC) allow healthcare providers to share insights and learn about the latest cybersecurity developments. Accessing such resources ensures healthcare organizations stay updated on emerging threats and prevention strategies.
  • Engage with Ethical Hackers: Ethical hackers can be invaluable allies in identifying vulnerabilities before cybercriminals do. By conducting penetration testing, these professionals can highlight weaknesses in healthcare systems, giving the organization an opportunity to strengthen its defenses.

The Role of Policy and Governance in Countering AI Threats

While technical measures and training are crucial, robust governance and policies are equally important. Healthcare organizations must establish clear guidelines for dealing with deepfakes and AI threats, including protocols for reporting suspicious activity and disciplinary measures for breaches in security protocol.

  • Develop AI-Specific Policies: Include explicit instructions for handling AI-enabled threats in organizational policies. This might include steps for verifying the authenticity of communications, particularly if they’re unusual or high-risk.
  • Create Accountability Structures: Make sure there’s a clear chain of accountability for cybersecurity incidents. Assign roles and responsibilities across departments, so that in the event of an attack, everyone knows who’s responsible for each aspect of the response.

Conclusion: Preparing for a New Era of Cybersecurity

AI and deepfake technology are advancing at a rapid pace, and healthcare organizations must take proactive steps to prepare their workforces. By increasing awareness, investing in the right tools, building multidisciplinary teams, and implementing strong governance, healthcare providers can significantly enhance their defenses.

However, this is a journey, not a destination. Cyber threats evolve constantly, and the methods that work today may need to adapt in the future. Building resilience in healthcare cybersecurity isn’t just about training and tools—it’s about fostering a culture of vigilance, adaptability, and continuous improvement.

Healthcare’s embrace of digital transformation has led to groundbreaking advancements, but these benefits come with responsibilities. By understanding and mitigating the risks posed by deepfakes and AI-enabled cyberattacks, healthcare organizations can protect not only their data but also their patients’ trust and well-being.