As much as digital technologies and AI have contributed to the healthcare field, they are also associated with vulnerabilities. Criminals can exploit weaknesses in networks, software, and models of AI to access personal information. “AI weaponization generally poses a bigger risk to cybersecurity compared with conventional attacks due to its speed and agility, ethical problems, etc., explains a recent academic article on Offensive and defensive cybersecurity solutions in healthcare.
The study proposes a comprehensive framework integrating AI-driven offensive and defensive strategies to protect medical centers from cyber threats. It also addresses HIPAA compliance, proving that advanced access controls and proactive monitoring can safeguard patient data while enhancing system resilience and operational continuity.
This plan involves physicians, nurses, researchers, and third parties who are "involved in operating, deploying, or benefiting from the system.”
Defensive cybersecurity is about protecting patient data and maintaining regulatory compliance. These measures prevent attacks from succeeding and minimize damage if a breach occurs. According to the article, defensive strategies include:
Furthermore, the study states that “strict data access control, standards, policies, and regulations in healthcare, such as HIPAA, help protect the healthcare system from hostile AI-based strategies like model evasion and data poisoning.”
Ultimately, combining technical defenses with strong staff awareness and governance can help healthcare organizations reduce the likelihood and impact of cyberattacks.
Offensive cybersecurity strategies take a proactive approach. Instead of waiting for attacks to happen, these strategies anticipate potential threats and test defenses to identify weaknesses before they are exploited.
Two common offensive measures are:
Overall, offensive strategies are not about breaking the law or causing harm; rather, they ethically simulate attacks to strengthen defenses. As the article explains, offensive cybersecurity “permits entities to assess their defenses and detect security holes that should be addressed.”
The most effective cybersecurity programs combine both defensive and offensive strategies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems relied heavily on defensive measures due to regulatory and privacy concerns. However, weak integration with offensive strategies also brought about challenges.
As the article notes, “the lack of integration or a weak integration between the defensive strategy and the offensive cybersecurity strategy…resulted in many problems such as the shortage of medical supplies, the slow development of vaccines and new medicines, the death of a huge number of people, etc.”
Therefore, medical centers must integrate offensive and defensive approaches to enhance their overall resilience. As the article explains, “a brisk cybersecurity plan includes both defensive and offensive security tasks…defense data strategy in healthcare lies in protecting patient data, maintaining privacy, and following federal standards such as HIPAA…while the offense data strategy focuses on making hospitals more competitive and maintaining patient satisfaction.”
Defensive measures protect patient data and maintain compliance, while offensive strategies test defenses, anticipate attacks, and improve security protocols. Together, these strategies make cybersecurity programs dynamic, responsive, and adaptable to new threats.
In healthcare, generative AI allows advanced data analysis, predictive modeling, and automation. However, it also introduces new risks. According to the article, generative AI threats include:
The article then recommends that healthcare organizations do the following to address these risks:
Implementing these strategies can help healthcare organizations use the benefits of advanced technologies without compromising patient privacy or system security.
HIPAA establishes national standards for safeguarding patient health information in the US. The article emphasizes that healthcare organizations must adhere to HIPAA and related regulations to reduce the risk of AI-powered threats like data poisoning or model evasion.
Upholding HIPAA compliance requires a comprehensive approach that maintains the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of patient data. Healthcare organizations must limit access to sensitive information so that only authorized personnel can retrieve or modify records, implementing audit trails and monitoring systems to detect irregularities, and regularly updating policies, procedures, and technical safeguards to match the pace of emerging cyber threats.
As healthcare organizations incorporate HIPAA requirements into their offensive and defensive cybersecurity practices, they improve their ability to counter complex attacks and strengthen patient trust.
Ultimately, aligning AI-driven security practices with regulatory obligations enables providers to create a more resilient system that strikes a balance between innovation and compliance.
Healthcare organizations must create a culture of cybersecurity awareness within their company. More specifically, staff training, clear policies, and open communication channels help employees understand how they can handle patient data. As the article notes, training should include “hyperlink and redirection attacks, email attacks, online hygiene, threat and mitigation communications, authentication protections, HIPAA digital education, etc.”
Regular communication among staff and leadership about emerging threats, best practices, and response protocols can help organizations maintain a good cybersecurity posture in their daily operations.
Moreover, healthcare organizations must improve their security awareness to reduce human errors that lead to common HIPAA violations.
The academic article predicts a shift toward more offensive cybersecurity operations as healthcare organizations face more sophisticated threats. “There will be more offensive cybersecurity operations, deployment, and practices at the organization with the increase of new cyberattacks and tactics from threat actors, the availability of more resources for healthcare cybersecurity, and the improved management skills at the administrative level for medical center cybersecurity,” the article states.
Additionally, experimental simulations and predictive modeling will help organizations optimize both offensive and defensive operations. So, providers must continually improve their strategies to stay ahead of cyber threats and maintain patient trust and safety.
Defensive strategies focus on preventing and detecting attacks (like encryption, access controls, and monitoring). In contrast, offensive strategies test systems through ethical hacking and penetration testing to identify weaknesses before criminals exploit them.
Data poisoning happens when attackers deliberately corrupt the data used to train an AI system, causing it to make inaccurate or harmful decisions. Model evasion, on the other hand, involves manipulating inputs, slightly altering malicious data, so the AI system fails to detect or correctly classify the threat. Both techniques can weaken cybersecurity defenses and endanger patient safety and data security.
HIPAA requires strict safeguards, like access controls, audit logs, and regular updates, giving healthcare organizations a framework to reduce risks from advanced AI-enabled attacks.
Learn more: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide (2025 Update)