Where Health Sector Security Leaders Stand and Where They’re Headed
Read the newly completed Health-ISAC CISO Benchmarking Report — the first benchmarking report Health-ISAC has ever published.
This report reflects the collective experience and input of the community — 76 CISOs participated in the survey, representing Providers, Payers, Pharma, Medical Devices, and Global Operations.
Section One: Challenges & Threats
Health sector organizations operate in a uniquely high-stakes threat environment: cyber breaches can delay care, put patient safety at risk, and undermine trust in the institution.
Top Cybersecurity Risks
Emerging Threats in the Health Sector
What Keeps CISOs Up at Night
Priority Initiatives: Next 12-24 Months
Section Two: The CISO Role
Health sector CISOs operate in one of the most demanding security environments: balancing clinical continuity, regulatory complexity, and technology sprawl simultaneously.
CISO Reporting Structure: Who They Report To
CISO Responsibilities: What They Own
CISO Strategic Alignment
Section Three: Budget & Spending
Cybersecurity budgets in the health sector are growing, but spending patterns reveal a sector still catching up to a threat landscape that has already evolved.
2026 Budget Outlook
Security SPending: ALlocation & Outlook
Outsourced Security Services
Section Four: Security Workforce
The cybersecurity workforce shortage is a structural reality in the health sector, shaping what security programs can realistically accomplish regardless of budget.
Security Team Size & Outlook
Biggest Workforce Challenge
Workforce Allocation by Function
Section Five: Framework Alignment
Framework adoption in the health sector is broad and multi-layered, but depth of implementation varies significantly by organization size and maturity.
NIST CSF: Adoption & Maturity
Frameworks in Use: Beyond NIST
Section Six: AI & Emerging Technology
Artificial intelligence is no longer on the horizon for health sector cybersecurity: it is already in the hands of both defenders and adversaries.
AI in Health Sector Security
Key Takeaways for Health Sector CISOs
The State of Health Sector Security Leadership in 2026
