Health System CIOs Rank Cybersecurity as Top Priority for 2026

Cybersecurity Tops CIO Agendas

A comprehensive survey of 200 health system chief information officers reveals that cybersecurity has surpassed all other priorities for IT spending in 2026. On average, respondents plan to increase cybersecurity budgets by 34% compared to the previous year.

The urgency is driven by a sharp increase in ransomware attacks targeting healthcare organizations. Several high-profile incidents in the past year disrupted patient care and resulted in significant financial and reputational damage.

Investment Areas

CIOs are directing increased spending toward zero-trust architecture implementation, endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools, security operations center (SOC) capabilities, and employee security awareness training. Many are also investing in cyber insurance and incident response planning.

Third-party risk management is another growing focus area, as healthcare organizations recognize that their vendor ecosystems represent significant attack surfaces. Several CIOs reported implementing more rigorous security assessment processes for technology partners.

The Talent Challenge

Finding and retaining cybersecurity talent remains a persistent challenge. Health systems often struggle to compete with private-sector compensation for experienced security professionals. Creative approaches including partnerships with cybersecurity firms, managed security services, and training pipeline programs are helping bridge the gap.