Applying Military-Grade Mission Assurance Frameworks to Hospital Cybersecurity

Healthcare organizations face an unprecedented surge in cybersecurity threats, with ransomware attacks against hospitals increasing by over 75% in recent years. These attacks directly threaten patient safety, with 61% of attacked organizations reporting care disruptions and delays in critical treatments. Despite growing threats, many healthcare executives struggle to implement cybersecurity frameworks that align with their primary mission of patient care delivery, often treating security as an isolated IT concern rather than an integral component of clinical operations.

This innovative session introduces healthcare executives to the Mission Assurance (MA) Construct, a comprehensive framework originally developed for protecting critical military and government operations, specifically adapted for hospital environments. Unlike traditional cybersecurity approaches that focus primarily on technological solutions, the MA Construct aligns security measures directly with the organization's core mission—continuous delivery of safe, quality patient care. The program addresses the cybersecurity challenge through four foundational methodologies presented via an interactive process placemat: tiered asset identification that categorizes hospital systems based on their criticality to patient care (from life-sustaining equipment to administrative systems); mission-focused vulnerability assessment techniques spanning technical systems, operational workflows and supply chains; integrated risk management strategies that maintain operational continuity while mitigating threats; and continuous monitoring frameworks providing meaningful, actionable metrics for hospital leadership.

You will engage with theoretical scenarios demonstrating framework application, including ransomware response strategies that prioritize patient safety and care continuity. The session provides practical tools including assessment templates, executive communication frameworks and implementation roadmaps tailored for healthcare settings. In the short-term, you will gain an immediate understanding of how to align cybersecurity efforts with patient care priorities, develop the capability to identify and tier critical hospital assets, and acquire practical tools for beginning framework implementation. Long-term outcomes encompass improved organizational resilience against cyberthreats, enhanced integration of cybersecurity into clinical governance structures, and strengthened ability to maintain care delivery during security incidents. This session fills critical knowledge gaps by providing a structured methodology for cybersecurity decision-making that transcends traditional IT boundaries, enabling more informed resource allocation and risk management decisions that protect both patient data and care delivery capabilities in an increasingly threatened healthcare environment.