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300+ Global Healthcare IT Leaders Report that Security has become an Operational Crisis in the AI-Era
[August 18, 2026]

300+ Global Healthcare IT Leaders Report that Security has become an Operational Crisis in the AI-Era


Nile, a pioneer and leader in secure and autonomous networking-as-a-service (NaaS), has released a new research report, "The State of Networking, Security & AI in Healthcare." The survey, which gathered insights from more than 300 IT leaders, C-level executives, and network and security practitioners across the global healthcare sector, reveals an industry under pressure from every direction. Cybersecurity ranks as the top concern, disruption to clinical systems has become routine, and the IT teams responsible are stretched thin.

The report describes a modern healthcare network that has outgrown its own architecture: a sprawling, distributed ecosystem of hospitals, outpatient clinics, imaging centers, and remote sites, stitched together with tens of thousands of connected medical and IoT devices - that often cannot be patched or run an agent - yet sit on the same network as the electronic health record (EHR). The result is an environment far more capable than a decade ago but far more exposed.

In healthcare, the cost of a network problem is not measured in records lost but in care delayed. Other key findings include:

  • A Workforce Under Strain: About two-thirds (66%) of healthcare IT teams are strained or firefighting, and only 18% say they are comfortably managing network operations. Notably, even fully staffed teams report constant firefighting, showing that complexity is the challenge, not headcount alone.
  • Security Is the Top Concern: Cybersecurity threats and ransomware are cited as the #1 network challenge (27%), ahead of staffing shortages and lack of expertise (23%), rising operational and compliance costs (20%), network reliability impacting clinical systems (16%), and aging or fragmented infrastructure (15%).
  • Clinical Disruption Has Become Normalized: Roughly 85% of oranizations experience network or security disruptions frequently, with 38% impacted at least weekly. Unlike a typical enterprise outage, these disruptions directly affect EHR access, patient monitoring, imaging workflows, and connected care.
  • A Confidence Gap in Containment: Only 20% of organizations are confident their network can contain a cyber incident across its mix of IoT, medical, clinician, and guest devices, while 61% are not confident or only slightly confident. The containment architecture in this space is lagging the threat that teams rank as their highest priority.
  • Zero Trust Adoption Lags Behind Intent: Only 38% of organizations report partial or full Zero Trust implementation, while 26% are aware of Zero Trust but have no concrete plans.
  • A Strong Appetite for NaaS and AI: 64% of healthcare organizations are open to adopting a Network-as-a-Service model to simplify operations and strengthen security, and the mature cohort is already realizing the benefits with 20% now treating AI-driven automation as essential to running their networks.

"In healthcare, the network is the lifeblood of patient care - when it falters, both patient care and patient privacy are put at risk," said Shashi Kiran, CMO of Nile. "This report shows that these challenges are no longer separate problems to be solved independently; they are deeply interconnected. Healthcare needs a new architectural philosophy, where security and simplicity are built in, and where lean IT teams can focus on patient care rather than daily firefighting."

The report suggests that the shift toward autonomous operations and a NaaS model with AI is a strategic response to a sector where the network is now central to patient safety. By embedding Zero Trust segmentation, continuous monitoring, and automated operations into the network itself, rather than bolting them on, healthcare organizations can strengthen security, reduce disruptions, and move their teams from firefighting to high-value work that supports patient care.


Download Report

To download the full "The State of Networking, Security & AI in Healthcare" report, visit https://nilesecure.com/networking-security/healthcare

Panel Discussion with Healthcare Thought Leaders

Nile will also host a webinar with industry thought leaders to discuss the research findings and insights. To register, visit: https://nilesecure.com/webinar/networking-and-security-in-healthcare

About Nile

Nile is a pioneer and leader in Secure Networking-as-a-Service (NaaS). It's leading a fundamental shift in the industry with a clean-slate approach that brings the power of zero-trust, autonomous operations and cloud to deliver compelling business outcomes and act as a force multiplier for IT. Nile solutions cut through complexity and cost versus legacy solutions, while delivering radical operational simplicity, security and speed with stellar user experiences. For more information, visit nilesecure.com.


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