European Commission Introduces Cybersecurity Plan for Healthcare

2025-01-15 data

Brussels, Wednesday, 15 January 2025.
The European Commission has launched an action plan to enhance cybersecurity in hospitals, aiming to protect against rising cyber threats and ensure a secure digital healthcare environment across Europe.

Rising Cyber Threats in Healthcare

The urgency of this initiative is highlighted by alarming statistics from 2023, when Member States reported 309 significant cybersecurity incidents affecting the healthcare sector - more than any other critical sector [1]. These cyber threats pose serious risks to patient care, with attacks capable of disrupting vital services, delaying medical procedures, and creating gridlocks in emergency rooms [1]. Healthcare organizations have faced substantial financial impacts, with an estimated $21.9 billion in downtime losses over the past six years [7].

Comprehensive Protection Framework

The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) will establish a pan-European Cybersecurity Support Centre specifically for hospitals and healthcare providers [1]. This initiative marks the first sector-specific deployment of the EU’s full range of cybersecurity measures, providing tailored guidance, tools, services, and training to healthcare institutions [1]. The timing of this action plan is significant, launched within the first 100 days of President von der Leyen’s new mandate, demonstrating its priority status [1].

Cross-Border Collaboration

Under Poland’s current EU Council Presidency, which began January 1, 2025 [3], the initiative aligns with broader efforts to enhance health security and digital transformation in healthcare. The presidency is particularly focused on developing cross-border e-health services and implementing cybersecurity regulations for medical devices [3]. This approach is supported by industry experts, including Ben Kokx, Director of Product Security at Philips, who oversees security standards and regulations in the medical device sector [4].

Future-Proofing Healthcare Security

The action plan comes at a crucial time as healthcare digitalization accelerates, introducing innovations such as electronic health records, telemedicine, and AI-driven diagnostics [1]. A new Commissioners’ Project Group on European Internal Security, established on January 7, 2025 [8], will further support these initiatives by integrating security measures into EU legislation and policies by design. This comprehensive approach aims to create a resilient healthcare ecosystem that can safely leverage digital innovations while protecting patient data and critical infrastructure [1][8].

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cybersecurity healthcare