Data Privacy
Protecting Patient Data in the AI Era: Lessons from the Change Healthcare Breach
Healthcare security is at an inflection point: more connected environments, more third parties, and more pressure to keep care moving. In the latest episode of Health Tech Builders, Coalfire cybersecurity leaders Chalice Beam and Dee Cruit join host Rodrigo Hutt to unpack the structural gaps that continue to put patient data—and operations—at risk.
What the Change Healthcare breach revealed
A key example is the Change Healthcare breach, one of the most consequential healthcare incidents to date, impacting more than 100 million people. As Chalice and Dee explain, it didn’t require a novel exploit. The takeaway is straightforward: awareness is high, but readiness is uneven. The episode breaks down why patient data remains a high-value target, how legacy clinical and biomedical systems expand the attack surface, and how AI is accelerating phishing and other social-engineering tactics.
From compliance to resilience
The discussion also makes a clear case for shifting security from “check-the-box” compliance to a measurable, board-supported program. That means validating controls, reducing blast radius through segmentation, tightening third-party access, and rehearsing incident response so teams can act under pressure. Leaders who plan for “when,” not “if,” build the muscle memory needed to contain disruption and maintain patient care.
