June 14, 2023

Gulf Hospitals Urged to Invest in Better Cybersecurity

Gulf hospitals are becoming high-risk targets for catastrophic cyberattacks due to weak staff training and limited security planning. Experts urge a 360-degree cybersecurity approach to protect patient data, devices, and critical hospital systems.

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Arab News coverage on Gulf hospitals urged to invest in better cybersecurity featuring Amir Kolahzadeh

DUBAI: As hospitals across the Gulf region become increasingly digital, with electronic health records, telemedicine platforms, and IoT-connected medical devices, cybersecurity experts are warning healthcare providers that they have become prime targets for cyber-attacks.

According to Amir Kolahzadeh, founder and CEO of UAE cybersecurity firm ITSEC, the healthcare sector faces unique cybersecurity challenges. “Healthcare data is among the most valuable on the dark web,” he said. “A stolen medical record can be worth 10 to 20 times more than a stolen credit card number because it contains comprehensive personal information that can be used for identity theft, insurance fraud, and even blackmail.”

Kolahzadeh said many hospitals in the region have invested heavily in medical technology but have lagged in cybersecurity investments. “You have hospitals running cutting-edge medical equipment connected to networks, but the cybersecurity infrastructure protecting that equipment is often outdated or inadequate.”

The cybersecurity expert highlighted the threat of ransomware attacks against healthcare facilities. “We have seen hospitals around the world brought to their knees by ransomware. When you cannot access patient records, when life-support systems are at risk, when emergency departments cannot function, the impact goes far beyond financial loss — it can cost lives.”

Kolahzadeh urged Gulf hospitals to adopt a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that includes regular vulnerability assessments, employee training, network segmentation, endpoint protection for medical devices, and incident response planning.

“Cybersecurity in healthcare is not just an IT issue, it is a patient safety issue,” he said. “Hospital boards and executives need to treat cybersecurity with the same level of seriousness they treat clinical risk management.”

He also emphasized the importance of compliance with healthcare-specific regulatory frameworks such as DHA in Dubai, ADHICS in Abu Dhabi, and HIPAA-equivalent standards across the region. “These frameworks exist for a reason. Compliance is the minimum baseline — organizations need to think beyond compliance and build true cyber resilience.”

The growing threat landscape, combined with the digitization of healthcare, makes cybersecurity investment a critical priority for Gulf hospitals to protect both patient data and patient safety.

Source: Arab News

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