In plain sight: a pragmatic exploration of the italian medical landscape (in)security

Protecting the medical sector from ongoing cybersecurity threats poses a highly complex challenge due to its unique combination of highly specialized and domain-specific technologies, coupled with an endemic lack of resources and skill gaps. In assessing the maturity level of Italy' s healthcare cybersecurity landscape, we showcase four concrete examples of glaring data leakage and exposed vulnerabilities, illustrating how seemingly trivial issues that could be easily checked or fixed are left unattended. We then offer insights into the reasons behind the occurrence of these basic flaws and suggest alternative strategies that might assist the Italian healthcare sector in addressing cyber threats more effectively, thereby ensuring an adequate level of security to protect health information.