Health data must be protected to secure a healthier future

Healthcare has entered a fascinating era: Data provides new insights into human health, while new technologies such as artificial intelligence accelerate advances in life sciences. Data is much more than bits and bytes — Thus, it must be protected without compromise.

Just as spending time online has become natural nowadays, the use of one’s health data for informed decision-making is becoming increasingly common. So how can we ensure that people-centered care is based on solutions that have data security at the forefront?

Digital transformation in healthcare unlocks tremendous opportunities — from early diagnosis of diseases to personalised prevention and treatment. New data-based technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), enhance operational efficiency in healthcare delivery, streamline clinical workflows, provide decision support, enable remote patient monitoring, and speed up drug development.  Insights derived from data help us gain a better understanding of ourselves and our health. Yet, to unlock the potential of insights, we must prioritise the establishment of secure digital healthcare ecosystems, ensuring optimal benefits for healthcare professionals and, ultimately, for patients.

The number of data breaches in healthcare is growing. According to thethe frequency of cyberattacks on US healthcare delivery organisations more than doubled from 2016 to 2021. In Europe, from January 2021 to March 2023, 53% of publicly reported cybersecurity incidents targeted healthcare systems, according to a report from(ENISA). 

It is within the capacity of every healthcare organization to enhance its defenses against hackers. By taking proactive measures to implement robust cyber preparedness measures, we can effectively minimize the likelihood of experiencing harmful consequences and guarantee the utmost safety and security of our invaluable data.

At Roche, we invest in technological innovations to monitor, detect, and prevent cybercrimes (Defense in Depth approach). Discover more and have a look at ourand

Hackers can not stop healthcare from the quest to improve patients’ health. On the contrary, they should mobilise and increase joint efforts to mitigate risks and strengthen the data security shield by applying best-in-class data protection technologies and enhancing regional and global collaboration. 

“Threat Intelligence Sharing” in close collaboration with customers, partners, and stakeholders within the value chain is key and may be the most effective measure since cybercrimes have no borders. 

Cybersecurity is no longer optional. It is central for new technologies to become a building block of ethical, safe, and patient-centered healthcare delivery models.

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