Training smarter: How healthcare teams can outsmart social engineering
Healthcare organizations face a growing wave of cyberthreats, and employees often stand as the last line of defense, making robust security training a critical necessity. This article looks at how health leaders are moving beyond annual training modules and adopting more practical, personalized strategies to keep staff alert and better prepared to spot sophisticated social engineering attacks.
Healthcare organizations face a unique cybersecurity challenge. While their mission is to care for patients, they must also protect massive amounts of sensitive data, often from phishing and social engineering attacks. And with these threats becoming more convincing and more difficult to identify, traditional training methods will no longer suffice.
It’s not enough to send employees through an annual security module and hope for the best. Today’s health leaders are recognizing that cyberthreats evolve quickly, and so should their training strategies.
The human element in cybersecurity
Every month, healthcare systems process millions of emails, many of which are filtered through security tools to weed out malicious content. Despite these protections, thousands of harmful messages still land in employees’ inboxes. And in many cases, it’s not just emails; attacks now come through texts, phone calls, and even video conferencing platforms.
What makes these threats so dangerous is how believable they are, even to people with some cybersecurity training. With help from AI and detailed online data, cybercriminals can craft messages that mimic real contacts and urgent scenarios, making them far harder to detect.
Because of this, employees have become a favorite target; not due to negligence, but because their jobs require them to prioritize speed. Unfortunately, this also makes them more likely to miss subtle signs of a scam.
Rethinking how we train
Some healthcare organizations are no longer treating training as a one-time checkbox. Instead, they’re implementing layered strategies that combine annual learning modules with frequent, realistic phishing simulations.
These simulated tests help identify which departments or roles are most vulnerable while also normalizing the idea that cybersecurity is an ongoing responsibility. But the real game-changer? Bringing training directly to employees in ways that feel relevant and immediate.
In-person sessions are emerging as one of the most effective tools. These hands-on meetings allow trainers to discuss specific scenarios, walk through real-world examples, and address the unique risks that come with different healthcare roles. Whether conducted face to face or over video calls, these sessions promote conversation and real understanding rather than passive clicking through slides.
Building a culture of awareness
The keys to effective training are frequency and relevance. People remember what matters to them, especially when training is tied to their daily responsibilities. Security teams are starting to tap into this by adjusting messaging and examples to match the work environment of different teams, from clinicians and billing staff to IT support and administration.
Some organizations are also using “just-in-time” feedback, offering brief, targeted lessons immediately after someone clicks on a test phishing link. This kind of real-time correction helps reinforce learning without shaming employees.
IT help desk teams are often targeted by impersonators pretending to be doctors or executives, and so should receive specialized training and stricter protocols for identity verification. When someone calls in a panic asking for a password reset, these staff members are taught to follow strict guidelines, even when a caller is demanding an immediate solution.
A culture, not just a checklist
Organizations that treat security training as a living, breathing part of company culture have a better chance at protecting their data than companies that see security as a mere component of business. However, getting those results means starting from day one with onboarding, continuing with regular training, and reinforcing lessons through real-world examples.
It also means encouraging staff to report suspicious activity, no matter how unsure they feel. Employees should never be afraid to flag a strange message; they should be praised for being cautious.
In the end, no training program can eliminate every threat. But by moving past outdated models and investing in meaningful, tailored education, healthcare organizations can turn their teams into active defenders, not passive vulnerabilities.
To stay ahead of evolving threats, now is the time to invest in smarter, people-focused security training. Start building a culture of awareness today. Your organization’s safety depends on it.
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