Overcoming 4 Challenges in Telehealth Cybersecurity

By Zachary Amos

Healthcare delivery expanded significantly with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has improved access to remote locations, reduced overhead expenses, and enabled chronically ill and disabled people to schedule safer appointments with their doctors. However, vulnerabilities quickly follow this growth.

Telehealth involves a vast amount of personal information, electronic health records, and financial data, making it a tempting target for cybercriminals. As use of these platforms grows more prevalent, providers should prioritize protecting confidential files and ensuring compliance to prevent breaches.

The importance of telehealth cybersecurity

Telehealth is now a staple in modern health care, with 127.2 million clients worldwide consulting with providers online. Protecting the digital infrastructure supporting these services is essential to maintaining safe, high-quality care. As telemedicine expands and physician access improves, cybersecurity risks are also rising, threatening to expose sensitive data and disrupt care delivery.

In 2024, the healthcare sector reported the most breaches, overtaking the finance industry with 23% of all reported incidents. It also holds the record for the most expensive breaches, averaging $10.92 million per incident. Stolen healthcare assets are uniquely valuable and increasingly vulnerable. When criminals acquire personal details, electronic records and financial data, they can use this information to create social engineering tactics that fuel further scams.

Common challenges for telehealth security

Healthcare’s online expansion brings cybersecurity vulnerabilities, making it increasingly challenging to protect patient information.

Data privacy and HIPAA compliance

Telemedicine platforms handle highly sensitive data daily—including medical histories, prescriptions, psychiatric evaluations and personally identifiable information. Unencrypted virtual consultations may risk patient confidentiality. While many people are comfortable communicating with tools like Zoom and Google Meet, these platforms can be susceptible to interception from unauthorized third parties.

Even the routine storage of electronic health records raises concerns about security and compliance in data management. One recent survey found that only 57% of organizations use HIPAA-compliant software, while the remaining 43% either do it manually or don’t track their compliance at all. Adhering to HIPAA remains critical for maintaining legal standards and patient dignity.

Device and network security

Telehealth relies heavily on hardware, software and IoT-connected medical equipment. Protecting these individually can present challenges. Endpoints like personal smartphones or tablets often lack sufficient security features. When patients or health care staff use these devices, it expands the weak spots hackers can use for entry and makes it harder for IT teams to defend.

Staff training and human error

Awareness is critical in teaching healthcare workers to recognize the habits that can compromise the system. The human element relates to 95% of reported breaches. Staff who are unfamiliar with cybersecurity protocols are more likely to fall victim to social engineering and phishing attacks. Errors as simple as misdirected emails or temporarily storing data in unprotected locations can lead to serious incidents.

Most insider threats are non-malicious. However, in the controversial Edward Snowden case, lax privilege allowed him to copy 1.7 million classified NSA files unnoticed in his position as a contractor. Telemedicine faces the same insider risk when employees access more information than they need.

Resource constraints and legacy systems

Many health care organizations operate under tight budgets, reflected in their outdated software and unsupported technology. A HIMSS survey revealed that about 73% of providers still rely on legacy systems — obsolete platforms that often fall short of current security standards. While they technically still function, their inability to update to the latest versions makes them a significant vulnerability. Other limitations, such as poor video or image quality, can result in diagnostic errors, jeopardizing patient health and data integrity.

How to overcome telehealth challenges

Identifying these vulnerabilities is only the first step. Resolving them requires a layered approach and concerted efforts.

1. Implementing robust authentication and encryption

Since telemedicine service delivery involves numerous access points, protecting these comes first. Pair strong passwords with multifactor authentication as a second layer of defense that increases protection against 99% of automated attacks.

Since many patients aren’t tech-savvy enough to know whether their devices are secure, healthcare organizations are responsible for using well-protected platforms. End-to-end encryption ensures data shared during virtual consultations remains private and unreadable to external parties.

2. Regular security audits and risk assessments

More sophisticated threats can arise at any time. Telehealth systems need continuous evaluation and updates. Regular security audits are routine checkups that identify outdated software, incorrect settings and weak spots that may not be easily identifiable.

Immediately replacing legacy infrastructure isn’t always the best option. Often, incremental modernization or integrating old systems into new ones makes more sense. Then, healthcare workers can keep seeing clients without delays or interruptions and the organization can improve its technology with minimal disruption.

On the other hand, risk assessments gauge how the current infrastructure stands against threats, identify which medical assets to prioritize and address the most pressing hazards the organization could face. Coupled with automated monitoring and vulnerability scanning tools, these practices promote proactive, rather than reactive, responses to cyber risks.

3. Staff education and cyber hygiene

Since any employee can unintentionally compromise security, organizations should implement ongoing staff training on cybersecurity awareness.

Simulated phishing exercises assess employees’ ability to recognize and respond to fraudulent emails. Using tools that generate unique, hard-to-guess passwords for every account significantly enhances security and automates the filling process to minimize the hassle of remembering them or keeping manual records.

4. Following regulatory guidance and industry best practices

Healthcare providers align their cybersecurity practices to follow established frameworks while monitoring regulatory changes. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology provide valuable information on safeguarding telemedicine systems.

By following these expert recommendations, health care organizations can better meet legal requirements like HIPAA and reduce the risk of data breaches. Even more importantly, it shows clients that their privacy is a serious matter, strengthening trust in telehealth services.

Protecting patients with secure systems

Telehealth is a convenient, approachable way to access healthcare. Safeguarding sensitive data from malicious attackers should be a priority. By proactively addressing these vulnerabilities, healthcare professionals protect sensitive assets while upholding their core mission of delivering safe, high-quality care anytime, anywhere.

Zachary Amos is a tech writer who covers healthcare IT, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. He has bylines on HIT Consultant, Health IT Answers, and VentureBeat, and he is the Features Editor at ReHack Magazine. For more of his work, follow him on LinkedIn or X.