As the Trump administration continues, questions are arising about the sustainability of federal cybersecurity support for healthcare and other critical infrastructure sectors. Mike Hamilton, field CISO at Lumifi Cyber, emphasizes that states might need to ramp up their efforts to compensate for any lapses in federal assistance. “It seems increasingly likely that we’re on our own,” Hamilton noted in a conversation with Information Security Media Group, pointing out the potential gaps left by a diminished Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
The downsizing of CISA, along with other federal entities, raises concerns about the level of cybersecurity aid available to resource-limited institutions like rural hospitals. During the Biden administration, CISA offered regional cybersecurity advisors and resources to assist local organizations. However, Hamilton expressed uncertainty about the continuation of these services, including risk and resilience assessments and the maintenance of CISA’s public catalogue of exploited vulnerabilities.
Hamilton suggests that states might need to take a proactive role in addressing these needs. This could involve creating internships through educational institutions to deploy cybersecurity interns to rural healthcare facilities, where they could monitor logs and identify potential threats. This kind of initiative could help fill the void left by federal cutbacks and support local organizations in bolstering their cybersecurity defenses.
Despite these challenges, a CISA spokesperson reassured that the agency is still committed to aiding healthcare organizations in improving cybersecurity and resilience. The CISA website offers a Cybersecurity Toolkit for Healthcare and Public Health, which includes resources such as best practices, a free vulnerability scanning service, and regional team contact information for assistance.
In a detailed audio interview with Information Security Media Group, Hamilton also discussed the broader implications of funding cuts to Medicaid and other federal programs on rural healthcare providers. He highlighted affordable programs that could help these entities enhance their cybersecurity posture and identified evolving regulatory issues in the healthcare cybersecurity space that warrant close attention. With over 30 years of experience, Hamilton brings a wealth of knowledge, having previously co-founded Critical Insight and served as the CISO for the City of Seattle.