The hidden security crisis in healthcare IoT: why traditional connectivity is failing

But this digital transformation comes with a troubling reality: healthcare organisations are struggling to secure these devices, and the consequences are severe.

 

The cybersecurity crisis in healthcare IoT

 

Healthcare providers face an urgent and escalating challenge: cybersecurity vulnerabilities that traditional connectivity models simply cannot address. These issues put patient data, operational continuity, and regulatory compliance at serious risk.

 

The threat is real—and growing

 

The numbers tell a stark story. In 2025 Modat reported over 1.2 million healthcare devices and systems exposed to the public internet, leaking highly sensitive patient information. Medical data breaches have become routine, with healthcare organisations reporting alarming rates of cyberattacks targeting their connected devices.

 

The problem isn't just the volume of attacks, it's the fundamental vulnerability of how these devices connect and communicate. When medical devices transmit data over public networks with minimal protection, every data packet becomes a potential entry point for malicious actors.

 

Why are healthcare IoT devices so vulnerable?

Most connected medical devices were designed with functionality, not security, as the priority. They connect through shared mobile networks, transmit data across the public internet, and often lack the sophisticated security controls found in traditional IT systems. This creates multiple points of exposure:

 

• Unencrypted data transmission over public mobile networks

• Shared network infrastructure that exposes devices to scanning and probing

• Limited visibility into how data is routed and who has access

• Weak authentication that fails to verify device identity properly

 

The result? Healthcare organisations are operating critical infrastructure on networks they don't control, with limited ability to detect threats or respond to incidents.

 

The regulatory pressure is mounting

 

The cybersecurity crisis in healthcare isn't just a technical problem, it's a compliance imperative. Healthcare organisations must navigate an increasingly complex web of overlapping regulations, including HIPAA in the US and GDPR in Europe, each demanding strict protections for patient data. These frameworks require organisations to demonstrate where protected health information is located at all times, ensure data doesn't cross borders inappropriately, and maintain detailed audit trails of access and transmission.

 

The challenge intensifies when IoT devices connect through public mobile networks. How can you prove compliance when you don't control the network? How do you ensure data sovereignty when you can't see the routing paths? Regulatory bodies are catching up to the reality that IoT isn't experimental anymore—it's critical infrastructure. And with that recognition comes stricter enforcement, larger fines, and executive-level accountability. For healthcare organisations, failing to secure IoT connectivity isn't just risking a breach, it's risking the organisation's ability to operate.

 

Why traditional VPN and APN solutions fall short

 

Many healthcare organisations have attempted to address these security challenges by layering VPNs or private APNs onto their existing infrastructure. Whilst these approaches offer some improvement over completely open networks, they're fundamentally inadequate for modern healthcare IoT.

 

VPNs create a "trusted tunnel" that assumes everything inside is safe, but this trust model collapses when a single compromised device can provide lateral access across the entire network. Additionally, VPN management becomes operationally complex when dealing with thousands of devices across multiple locations.

 

Private APNs offer isolation but still rely on carrier infrastructure that healthcare organisations don't fully control. They don't provide the visibility or policy enforcement needed for true security at scale.

 

Both approaches share a critical flaw: they're reactive security measures bolted onto connectivity that wasn't designed with healthcare's unique requirements in mind.

 

The zero trust answer: security built into connectivity

 

Healthcare organisations need a fundamentally different approach. One that treats every connection as untrusted until proven otherwise.

 

This is where Zero Trust for IoT connectivity transforms the equation.

 

Unlike VPNs that create broad trust zones, zero trust architecture validates every device, every session, and every data transmission. Rather than asking "is this device on our network?" zero trust asks "should this specific device access this specific resource right now?"

 

For healthcare IoT, zero trust connectivity means:

 

• Device-level authentication that verifies identity before granting access
• Session-based policies that limit what each device can do and when
• Private data paths that keep sensitive health information off public networks
• Continuous monitoring that detects anomalies in real time
• Unified visibility across all devices, regardless of carrier or location
• Centralised management through a single platform for the entire device fleet

 

This approach directly addresses the cybersecurity challenge at its core. It secures devices by eliminating the assumption of trust and provides the visibility and control healthcare organisations need to protect patient data and meet regulatory requirements.

 

Rethinking connectivity as a security layer

 

The most successful healthcare organisations are beginning to recognise an important truth: connectivity isn't just transport—it's a critical security control.

 

When medical devices connect through secure SIM-based solutions with zero trust principles embedded at the network edge, healthcare providers gain something traditional connectivity could never offer: security by design, not as an afterthought.

 

This means:

• Data never touches the public internet unless explicitly authorised

• Each device operates in its own micro-segment, preventing lateral movement

• Policies can be enforced based on device type, location, time, or behaviour

• All connectivity is managed from a single platform, regardless of device or carrier

• Compliance requirements become easier to meet and demonstrate

• You have complete visibility into where your data flows and how devices connect

 

For healthcare organisations dealing with strict regulatory requirements like HIPAA and GDPR, this approach transforms compliance from a constant struggle into a manageable, auditable process.

 

The path forward for healthcare IoT security

 

The healthcare sector can't afford to wait for cybersecurity threats to diminish or for interoperability standards to magically align. Patients depend on these connected systems, and the attack surface is only growing.

 

What healthcare organisations need is a connectivity partner that understands the unique challenges of medical IoT, one that builds security into the SIM, enforces Zero Trust at the edge, and provides the visibility and control required for both operational excellence and regulatory compliance.

 

The question isn't whether to secure healthcare IoT. It's whether your connectivity infrastructure is designed to protect patient data, enable seamless integration, and support the connected care models that define modern healthcare.

 

Because in healthcare, connectivity without security isn't just a vulnerability—it's a liability.

 

 

Ready to secure your healthcare IoT deployment?

 

Discover how IXT's secure SIM solution combines global connectivity with Zero Trust security, purpose-built for healthcare organisations that can't compromise on patient safety or data protection.

 

Explore IXT for healthcare → https://ixt.io/industry-healthcare 

 

 

About the author

IXT writes about IoT connectivity because we build it. We’re a Full-MVNO with our own core network and a CMP we designed in-house, so we see what works at scale and what doesn’t. Our team has decades of experience in M2M/IoT, from network engineering to enterprise rollouts, so the guidance we share is practical, vendor-agnostic and field-tested. Connect, secure and manage devices with confidence using our IoT Connectivity.

IXT – Connected. Secure. Everywhere.