Cyber incidents that strike large health systems increasingly ripple into post-acute and senior care, disrupting operations that already run on tight margins. Experiences shared at a major industry gathering underscored how last year’s attack on a key claims intermediary forced some organisations to revert to manual processes, slowing cash flow for weeks. At the same time, older adults face escalating exposure to cyber-enabled fraud, with reports of losses of €8000 or more rising sharply in recent years. Digital ecosystems in senior care become more interconnected and artificial intelligence accelerates the sophistication of threats, and leaders are recalibrating strategies to harden defences, stabilise clinical and financial operations and educate both staff and residents.
Patchy Readiness and the Case for Partnerships
Readiness varies widely across post-acute and senior care. Some organisations remain in the early stages of building a security foundation, while others have strengthened their posture after experiencing an incident. A persistent challenge is limited internal capacity to track a fast-moving regulatory environment and maintain up-to-date controls. For many, budget and staffing constraints mean there is no dedicated in-house team to manage evolving risks end to end.
Competition for cybersecurity talent compounds the problem. When nearby hospitals recruit for the same roles, smaller providers can face churn and prolonged vacancies. Several leaders described trying to establish an internal cybersecurity position only to experience regular turnover, which left gaps in monitoring and response. Over time, some shifted to a managed security service provider (MSSP) model to secure round-the-clock coverage and more predictable capability. This move reflected a broader recognition of what can realistically be handled internally versus where specialised partners add value.
Alongside resourcing decisions, organisations are focusing on strengthening core systems and simplifying their environments. Reducing complexity can make controls easier to manage and vulnerabilities easier to spot. The emphasis is on foundational hygiene, not just advanced tools: tightening configurations, standardising platforms and streamlining integrations so that security measures are consistent and auditable. Partnerships are used to fill strategic gaps, offering a cost-effective route to capabilities that would otherwise be difficult to build or sustain.
Third-Party Risk Management and Operational Continuity
As senior care becomes more interconnected, reliance on external vendors has intensified. Processes that once failed for reasons within direct control—such as local network hardware issues—now depend on third parties for critical functions including claims, billing and data exchange. The consequences of an outage are therefore broader than a technical inconvenience. When a key service is unavailable, the revenue cycle can be disrupted, amplifying financial strain and diverting attention from resident care.
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For this reason, third-party risk management is becoming a cornerstone of cybersecurity strategy in senior and post-acute care. Due diligence extends beyond contractual terms to a practical understanding of interoperability dependencies and contingency options. Organisations are assessing upstream and downstream impacts, clarifying failover pathways and identifying how quickly operations can transition to alternative workflows when vendors experience an incident.
Clinical resilience is a central objective. Care teams need downtime procedures that are clear, rehearsed and proportionate to different outage durations. Planning now considers scenarios measured in hours, days or even a week, with each tier defining how information will flow, how tasks will be prioritised and how resident safety will be safeguarded. This tiered approach aims to preserve continuity of essential services while minimising administrative backlogs when systems return. The same logic applies to financial operations, where temporary manual processes may be necessary to sustain cash flow and maintain billing accuracy until normal operations resume.
By embedding third-party risk management into overall cyber governance, leaders can better align technology resilience with operational realities. This integration helps ensure that business continuity and disaster recovery planning reflect the full complexity of today’s connected ecosystem rather than only the components directly under an organisation’s control.
Targeted Training for Staff and Residents
Education and training are adapting to a threat landscape where malicious actors routinely impersonate trusted institutions. Older adults are increasingly targeted by schemes that mimic communications from banks, technology providers or government agencies. Initial contact often begins with a phone call, followed by online prompts through advertisements or email. The growth of generative AI tools adds realism to phishing attempts, making deception harder to detect without deliberate awareness campaigns.
For senior and post-acute care providers, this dual audience—staff and residents—requires tailored interventions. Staff training addresses the mechanics of modern phishing and social engineering, reinforcing verification practices and escalation pathways. Simulation and role-specific refreshers help keep pace with evolving tactics. For residents, education focuses on practical recognition cues and safe response behaviours, acknowledging the unique risks to those who may conduct personal business or communicate with family on shared or limited-visibility networks.
Providers face an additional hurdle: limited ability to oversee or protect residents’ independent online access. This constraint shifts emphasis toward empowerment through knowledge, alongside clear guidance about when and how to seek support from care teams or designated points of contact. Consistency matters: messaging that aligns across posters, handouts and in-person sessions can make core principles easier to remember and apply under pressure.
By elevating training alongside technical controls, organisations aim to reduce the likelihood of successful social engineering while building confidence among staff and residents. The goal is not only to block attacks but to maintain trust in digital tools that increasingly underpin engagement, care coordination and everyday life.
Senior and post-acute care organisations operate within an increasingly connected ecosystem where disruptions can quickly cascade from technical failures to operational and financial risks. Strengthening the foundation—through pragmatic staffing models, partnerships and simplified environments—creates a platform for consistent control. Embedding third-party risk management into governance aligns resilience with real-world dependencies, while tiered downtime procedures protect clinical and business continuity. With targeted education for staff and residents, providers can mitigate social engineering risks that technology alone cannot solve. Together, these measures support safer, more reliable care in a sector where stability and trust are essential.
Source: HealthTech
Image Credit: iStock
