As healthcare becomes increasingly digital, protecting patient data and critical systems has never been more important. Synapxe's Cybersecurity Week (CSW) 2025, held from 13 October to 17 October, focused on equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to defend against evolving cyber threats. The programme featured expert insights on emerging challenges from AI-powered attacks to quantum computing risks that could reshape healthcare security.
Expert speakers covered essential topics from medical device security and AI-powered attacks to quantum computing threats and everyday malware protection. The sessions provided practical insights and actionable strategies for protecting healthcare systems in our increasingly connected digital environment. We hosted distinguished industry experts who shared critical insights on today's most pressing cybersecurity challenges. Their expertise covered the full spectrum of healthcare security, providing valuable guidance for organisations navigating the complex threat landscape. This article recaps the key takeaways from our webinars, offering healthcare professionals essential knowledge to strengthen their cybersecurity defences.
CSW Webinars 2025: 7 key takeaways
1. Securing Medical Devices for Patient Safety by Steven Sim, Chair, OT-ISAC Advisory Committee:
Medical devices are high-value targets with cyber incidents directly impacting patient safety. Hospitals face increasing ransomware that can compromise treatment accuracy. Implement Zero Trust principles, comprehensive device management, and threat intelligence sharing to build community resilience against evolving attacks.
2. Defending Healthcare IT by Logeswaran Nadarajan & Sonmati Maurya, Mandiant (Google Cloud):
Advanced threats are growing due to increased connectivity across healthcare facilities. Take immediate action: secure your perimeter with Multi-Factor Authentication, identify legacy risks through network scanning, and protect critical data with effective segmentation.
3. AI Attacks and Defence by Harriet Farlow, Founder and CEO, Mileva Security Labs:
As healthcare adopts AI tools, organisations must prepare for AI-powered attacks. Simple guardrails aren't sufficient, develop comprehensive AI security strategies that address both the benefits and risks of intelligent systems.
4. Third-Party Risk Management by Gary Low, Legal Director & Data Protection Officer, Synapxe:
Effective risk management requires four principles: visibility first, accountability always, compliance builds trust, and governance should enable rather than restrict innovation. Every vendor and AI tool must be properly governed.
5. Cloud Security for Healthcare by Henry Ho & Josna Pereira, AWS:
Digital transformation enables person-focused care at lower costs. Focus on 2025's key trends: Security and Resiliency, Mission-critical Workloads, Healthcare AI, and Connected Care, all supported by tailored security measures.
6. Quantum Computing Threats by Dr. Lim Han Chuen, The Thought Projects:
The quantum threat is real today, attackers can "harvest now, decrypt later." Start early by identifying critical data, assessing current cryptography, and implementing defence-in-depth using multiple protection layers.
7. Everyday Cyber Threats by Kelwin Tan, Assistant Superintendent, Singapore Police Force:
Protect against malware by installing apps only from official stores and monitoring for infection signs. If compromised, stay calm and follow systematic response procedures. Use the 3A approach: Assess, Authenticate, Analyse, to verify suspicious content.
CSW 2025 showed that effective healthcare cybersecurity needs both strong technology and the right culture. The fight against cyber threats requires constant vigilance and adaptation as new challenges emerge. This dedicated week strengthened our commitment to learning, sharing knowledge, and working together to build the secure digital future that healthcare needs to protect patients and enable innovation.
