AI and Cybersecurity: The Benefits and Concerns for Healthcare

The Concerns with AI in Cybersecurity

“Right now, I think a lot of organizations are thinking about security around AI from three different perspectives: They’re thinking about security with AI, security for AI and security from AI,” said Stephanie Hagopian, vice president of physical and cybersecurity services at CDW, during an interview at Cisco Live! 2025. “And in all three of those buckets, there’s trepidation in how much do you invest in specific technology solutions versus taking care of the foundation of what you need to do from a governance perspective.”

When considering security with AI, a number of security platforms include AI-powered features, such as SentinelOne, Sophos and Zscaler. The problem for organizations is parsing which solutions will deliver and integrate well with their needs and environment.

Similarly, when considering security for AI, healthcare especially has piloted and deployed AI use cases over the past several years that require stringent safeguards. That includes everything from computer vision used in virtual nursing programs to chatbots assisting clinicians with administrative tasks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has also warned of malicious actors deliberately manipulating AI systems to make them malfunction.

And finally, when considering security from AI, a 2024 ISC2 survey found that cybersecurity professionals are worried about cybercriminals using AI to spread misinformation, with deepfakes, disinformation campaigns and social engineering attacks as their top concerns. Earlier this year, YouTube had to issue a warning about phishing emails featuring AI-generated clips of its CEO.

EXPLORE: Understand the different roles of AI in healthcare cybersecurity.

The Benefits of AI in Cybersecurity

On the flip side, in that same survey — which included more than 1,000 ISC2 members who work or have worked in security roles — 82% of respondents agreed that AI will improve their job efficiency. A majority are looking to AI to tackle time-consuming, lower-value functions, such as user behavior pattern analysis, network traffic monitoring and threat detection.

This is particularly important as staffing shortages continue to be a problem for healthcare organizations, not just for clinical departments but for cybersecurity teams as well. Depending on the size and the budgetary resources, some health systems may not have the necessary components for around-the-clock security monitoring. That’s why support through automated processes and managed services has been beneficial for organizations that are watching their wallets.

Ultimately, strong AI and data governance will better position healthcare organizations as emerging technologies and processes become more widespread. Just as a clinical team collaborates in patient care, organizations can work with partners to develop their AI and security strategies, fostering a multidisciplinary approach.