Aiming to help UAE healthcare organisations build resilience, protect patient data and maintain trust in the digital era.
Cisco has outlined five priority actions that healthcare organisations must take to strengthen cybersecurity and maintain digital resilience across the sector.
The recommendations address the unique vulnerabilities of healthcare systems, while supporting organisations in the UAE to protect patient trust in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
As a digital-first nation, the UAE has seen hospitals and healthcare providers embrace technologies such as electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine and AI-driven diagnostics. However, the industry remains a prime target for cyberattacks, with highly valuable patient data, outdated systems and widespread human vulnerabilities exposing healthcare to breaches. Phishing remains the most common entry point, with weak passwords, shadow IT and lack of staff awareness compounding risks.
In the UAE, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH) has set a benchmark through its Abu Dhabi Healthcare Information and Cyber Security Standard (ADHICS), requiring providers to adopt protections such as multi-factor authentication, encryption, firewalls and incident response planning.
“Organisations must confront the reality that cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue. It is a core component of patient services and enabling digital resilience in healthcare,” said Fady Younes, Managing Director for Cybersecurity at Cisco Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Romania and CIS. “At Cisco, we believe that healthcare organisations (like all sectors) should take proactive steps to safeguard their systems and data, helping to maintain patient trust and service continuity.”
Cisco’s five actions are:
- Treat obsolete IT systems as systemic risks.
- Reimagine IT spending models to enable OpEx flexibility.
- Elevate cybersecurity training to a strategic priority.
- Encourage resource sharing and regional collaboration.
- Secure EHRs with robust standards, encryption and access controls.
Cisco stresses that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility between government, regulators, providers and technology partners. By tackling legacy vulnerabilities and embedding security into daily operations, the UAE can continue building a secure and sustainable healthcare ecosystem that safeguards sensitive patient data and ensures continuity of care.
