Stephanie Baum , 2025-05-01 11:30:00
A new report highlights email as an Achilles’ Heel in healthcare cybersecurity. The Paubox report surveyed 150 healthcare IT leaders and found 63% reported data breaches or security incidents involving email in 2024.
The report, 60% of Healthcare Orgs Admit Email Security Failure, highlights what Paubox says is a broken infrastructure at the heart of this issue, exposing millions to preventable risks. Although the Paubox report notes that email is the top cybersecurity vulnerability in healthcare, the budget allocation for addressing this issue typically varies from 11% to 20%, according to the survey findings.
Among the types of email security incidents featured in the report are: phishing, password guessing, and man-in-the-middle attacks where a hacker secretly relays communications between two parties who believe they are communicating with each other directly.
Legacy systems are more vulnerable to attacks than enterprise tech, according to the report findings. They weren’t designed for
the speed, security, or scale modern healthcare demands, according to the report. Outdated systems pose risks to patient care, operational stability, and organizational security.
The report also offers five strategic recommendations to help hospitals ramp up security.
“Healthcare doesn’t need more patchwork fixes—it needs a mindset shift. Patients expect secure, convenient communication, and it’s on us to meet that standard,” says Hoala Greevy, Paubox CEO. “With AI, automation, and built-in encryption, we can proactively defend patient data before threats ever hit the inbox.”
To learn more about the survey findings and Paubox’s strategic recommendations to fix healthcare data security vulnerabilities, fill out the form below to download the report.
Photo: JuSun, Getty Images
