< + > Detecting and Responding to Potential Data Breaches or Ransomware Attacks Effectively

When it comes to cybersecurity incidents, such as data breaches or ransomware attacks, time is of the essence. For both detecting the incidents and responding to ongoing attacks, it is vital that you handle them as quickly and as efficiently as possible in order to minimize the amount of damage done to your databases, to your financials, and most importantly, to your patients’ trust. To get a better picture of how to be as effective as possible, we reached out to our beautiful Healthcare IT Today Community to ask — how can healthcare IT systems detect and respond to potential data breaches or ransomware attacks effectively? The following are their answers.

Russell Teague, CISO at Fortified Health Security
Cyber incidents are not a matter of if, but when. Early detection demands continuous, full-spectrum visibility across the environment, driven by tools and technologies like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Network Detection and Response (NDR), and Connected Medical Device Monitoring or Internet of Medical Technologies (IoMT).

However, detection alone is not enough. Organizations should adopt a comprehensive cybersecurity framework, such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, which provides a structured approach across six critical functions: Govern the program, Identify risks and assets, Protect with preventative safeguards, Detect active threats, Respond to incidents in real-time, and Recover operations post-incident. This integrated approach ensures that detection is part of a broader, resilient cybersecurity strategy.

Effective response depends on pre-tested incident response plans, rapid containment playbooks, and cross-functional communication protocols. A slow or fragmented response multiplies risk, both financially and clinically.

Abhinav Mishra, VP & Head of Engineering at Doceree
The most effective healthcare IT environments are those that treat breach detection as an active, ongoing process, not a reactive one. This means implementing AI-powered monitoring tools that can track network activity in real time, flagging anomalies such as unusual login behaviour, unexpected data transfers, or unauthorized system access. When a threat is detected, automated alerting and containment protocols allow teams to isolate affected systems or datasets immediately, minimizing disruption to other parts of the network.

Data segmentation is critical here; it ensures that a breach in one area cannot spread to compromise the entire infrastructure. Because healthcare organizations often operate across regions with different privacy regulations, compliance readiness must be integrated directly into workflows. This includes ongoing monitoring against HIPAA, GDPR, CPPA, Washington’s My Health My Data Act, and other frameworks, so responses to threats never put compliance at risk.

Scott Lundstrom, Sr. Industry Strategist – Health, Life Sciences at OpenText
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: the question isn’t whether your healthcare organization will be attacked, but when. Success depends on how quickly you detect a threat and how effectively you respond to minimize its impact.

Tools like Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions, and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) are essential. Together, they aggregate and analyze system data to spot attack patterns, monitor devices for suspicious behavior, automatically isolate infected systems, and continuously scan network traffic for known threats and unusual activity. Preparation is just as important as detection. Before an attack happens, teams should be well-trained, tested, and armed with a detailed response plan. That includes regular training sessions, thorough team testing, and clear contingencies for operations if systems go offline. During an active incident, the top priority is immediate threat containment to prevent further spread. Careful documentation and clear, timely communication with all stakeholders are critical during these high-stress situations.

After an attack, the focus shifts to removing all traces of the breach: patching vulnerabilities, restoring systems from known-clean backups, and conducting a thorough incident analysis to strengthen defenses and response for the future. The faster and more effectively a team can detect and respond, the better they protect both patient safety and organizational stability.

Dave Bailey, Vice President of Consulting Services at Clearwater
Rapid detection and containment are critical because ransomware groups now recompile binaries per attack and increasingly use multi-channel pressure tactics. Healthcare systems need visibility across endpoints, networks, and third-party connections, paired with regularly exercised incident response plans. Practicing these scenarios in advance is what turns a breach from a crisis into a manageable event.

Travis DeAngelis, Director, Enterprise Architecture and Security Officer at AdvancedMD
Detecting and responding to breaches and ransomware attacks requires a layered approach that combines advanced technologies with workforce education on common attack vectors. Time is also a critical factor: In 2024, CrowdStrike and ReliaQuest reported that cybersecurity attackers achieved lateral movement within an average of 48 minutes after initial access, with some incidents occurring in less than 30 minutes. The fastest recorded breakout time was just 51 seconds, highlighting the need for rapid detection and response.

Because time is of the essence, a strong security posture includes three components: 1. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) for real-time threat detection; 2. A Zero Trust Exchange platform to enforce least-privilege access and secure communications; and 3. A Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platform to streamline incident response and automate remediation. It is also incredibly important for healthcare organizations to educate team members outside of the security organization on common schemes attackers use to hack a system.

Ken Armstrong, Information Security Manager at Tendo
The risk of data breaches and ransomware can be managed through effective logging, monitoring, and alerting, and well-developed and practiced incident response protocols. Despite best efforts, these situations can and will occur. Hopefully, the fundamentals are in place and the impact can be mitigated. Building processes and protocols that feel natural to staff are key in detecting and responding to these events.

Candice Moschell, Cybersecurity Leader at Crowe
Healthcare organizations should invest in continuous monitoring tools such as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) to detect anomalies in real time and trigger coordinated responses. Building out incident response (IR) and disaster recovery plans, backed by exercises that include technical and executive scenarios, ensures stakeholders understand roles and reduces confusion during a material event.

Healthcare organizations should also consider moving beyond vanilla penetration assessments in favor of purple team exercises to help internal teams identify detection gaps caused by stealthy threat actors. Early containment and failover systems will help limit downtime and protect patient care. Equally critical are robust, offline backups tested regularly to guarantee rapid restoration of operations in the event of a ransomware attack.

Joe Fichera, Group Lead, Cyber Security at TruBridge
Quick identification and response are crucial to mitigate the damage of a potential cybersecurity attack. The right security leader, vendor, and tools, including advanced firewalls, 24/7 monitoring, intrusion detection and prevention devices, and thorough staff training, are a few examples of strategies health systems must implement to safeguard patient data.

Such incredible points here! Huge thank you to everyone who took the time out of their day to submit a quote to us! And thank you to all of you for taking the time out of your day to read this article! We could not do this without all of your support.

How do you think healthcare IT systems can detect and respond to potential data breaches or ransomware attacks effectively? Let us know over on social media, we’d love to hear from all of you!