Claim OwnershipUnHack with Drex DeFord
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Cyber-safety is patient-safety. On “UnHack,” Drex DeFord, veteran healthcare CIO and infused strategist, breaks down the biggest cybersecurity and risk challenges facing healthcare today. Drex and expert guests explore what happened, why it matters, and how to build real-world resilience. The show's a mostly plain-English, mostly non-technical discussion that dives into the people, process, and technology making healthcare more secure; and it's NOT just for cyber-professionals; it’s for everyone in a healthcare organization, because modern cybersecurity is a team-sport.
235 Episodes
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February 21, 2025: Kate Gamble and Sarah Richardson explore the influence of healthcare's top billionaires on industry innovation and digital transformation. They discuss the balance between profit-driven advancement and patient care, implications for CIOs, and the role of wealth concentration in healthcare technology investments. Subscribe: This Week Health Twitter: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
Drex covers the alleged breach of OmniGPT affecting 30,000+ users with 34M+ exposed messages. Then, sophisticated deepfake scam using Italian defense minister's voice targeting business leaders. Lastly, a growing partnership between financial cybercriminals and state-sponsored hackers from Russia, China, and Iran.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid Subscribe: This Week Health Twitter: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
September 23, 2025: Sahan Fernando, CISO at Rady Children's Health San Diego, reveals the split-second decisions that keep pediatric healthcare running while under attack. Navigating the stark reality that children's hospitals face the same sophisticated threats as major health systems but with a fraction of the resources, Sahan unpacks how forcing threat actors into high-visibility channels might be the key to catching them faster. Can Health ISAC bridge the massive gap between well-funded health systems and struggling critical access hospitals when developing cybersecurity standards that actually work?
Key Points:
09:10 Challenges and Innovations in Pediatrics
17:24 Data Retention and Security
21:43 Managing Systemic Risks in Healthcare IT
29:26 Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Past and Present
35:45 Ransomware Attack: Decision-Making and Response
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Drex covers three critical cybersecurity developments: Scattered Spider's shift to targeting insurance companies including Erie Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, and Aflac using advanced social engineering tactics; escalating Iran-related cyber threats to US critical infrastructure amid Middle East tensions; and a massive dark web leak exposing 1.6 billion login credentials. Don't miss these actionable security recommendations including reviewing password reset processes, implementing strong authentication measures, and preparing for potential nation-state attacks on healthcare infrastructure.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
November 24, 2025: Healthcare organizations are drowning in applications they can't even inventory, especially after mergers and acquisitions. But the real shock comes when they try to access archived data years later. Dave Dyell, Managing Partner at Innovative Consulting Group, reveals why cloud storage fees are forcing health systems to rethink their entire archiving strategy, particularly for medical imaging. With AI initiatives on the horizon, the way you archive data today determines whether you can afford to use it tomorrow. Learn why strategic planning for data archiving isn't optional anymore—it's the difference between controlling costs and watching them spiral out of control.Key Points:03:12 Archiving and Data Management09:30 On-Prem vs Cloud Storage18:33 Future Strategies and ConclusionX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
November 21, 2025: What if your organization could reclaim millions of dollars just by rethinking processes you already have in place? Bill Willis, CTO of IDMWORKS, discusses the hidden costs plaguing healthcare IT, from runaway cloud storage bills to the shocking economics of password resets. Discover why identity management isn't just a security issue but a massive financial opportunity, how HR-IT integration is transforming onboarding from a week-long wait to day-one productivity, and why the cybersecurity crisis isn't really about technology at all. With real-world examples showing $2.5M to $5M in annual savings, this episode delivers the business case healthcare leaders need to drive change in 2026.Key Points:01:06 Boston City Tour Highlights02:36 Discussion on AI and Cloud Costs10:05 Cybersecurity and Identity Management19:12 Operational Efficiency and Cost SavingsX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
November 17, 2025: How does a 25-bed critical access hospital successfully stop a cyberattack when larger health systems fall victim? George Pappas, CEO of Intraprise Health, unpacks the Colorado hospital that shows how security culture beats expensive technology. The conversation reveals why vendor transparency remains elusive despite high-profile breaches, explores the harsh reality of hospitals that know their vulnerabilities but lack resources to fix them, and tackles AI governance challenges that traditional testing methods can't address. From Oracle-Cerner incidents to the frozen HIPAA NPRM, this episode delivers hard truths about healthcare security's funding gaps and the practical strategies that actually work for margin-pressed organizations.Key Points:01:45 Vendor Contracts and Legal Challenges06:21 Challenges with Cloud Security11:26 Critical Access Hospitals and Cyber Preparedness17:47 AI in Healthcare: Opportunities and RisksX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
November 10, 2025: When AWS experienced a major outage affecting over 500 companies, healthcare IT leaders were reminded that cloud architecture isn't just a technical decision; it's a strategic imperative. Vik Patel, COO from Tido dives into the cascading failures that exposed vulnerabilities in healthcare's cloud dependencies. From Epic instances running on AWS to the emerging challenges of AI data lakes, this conversation reveals why simplicity in architecture might be healthcare IT's most undervalued strategy. Discover how de-identifying data reduces risk, why multi-cloud strategies matter, and whether healthcare organizations have the skills needed to architect their cloud future safely.Key Points:01:00 AWS Outage Breakdown13:00 Data Management in the Cloud24:21 Simplicity in IT Design30:01 Conclusion and FarewellX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
November 3, 2025: What are healthcare IT leaders really concerned about? Fresh from three 229 Project summits across the country, Bill Russell, Sarah Richardson, and Drex DeFord pull back the curtain on the most pressing conversations happening right now. From simplifying AI governance with a two-track vendor approach to rethinking hiring strategies for an agent-driven future, this episode captures the pulse of healthcare leadership in real time. Discover why some organizations are solving hundreds of problems while others struggle with their first five, and learn the one-word qualities leaders are seeking in their next hires to thrive in today's rapidly changing landscape.Key Points:04:24 AI Success Factors09:57 Balancing Moonshots and Practical Solutions14:37 Sourcing Strategy and Engagement22:32 Building Organizational Culture26:27 Leadership and Succession PlanningX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
October 28, 2025: Mary Dickerson, Associate VP and CISO of UTHealth Houston & Gordon Groschl, CISO and Director of HTM at Texas Children’s Hospitals, discuss the current research landscape. Identity has become the ultimate battleground in healthcare security, but most organizations still don't have the fundamentals right. From securing non-human identities to enabling research without compromising compliance, these CISOs share hard-won lessons from the frontlines. Key Points:03:36 Challenges in Integrating Research and Clinical Services06:10 Building Secure and Agile Research Environments10:04 Collaboration Across Institutions for Research12:11 Top Projects: AI in Radiology14:58 Merging Identity and Security OperationsX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
October 27, 2025: Bill, Drex, and Sarah discuss the realities of implementing AI agents across organizations. The group tackles uncomfortable questions about workforce displacement, the critical thinking skills being lost to automation, and the massive energy demands threatening AI sustainability. From simplifying complex systems to understanding what innovation really means under constraint, This Week Health explores the practical and philosophical challenges facing healthcare technology leaders today.
Key Points:
01:28 Upcoming Summits and Expectations05:22 AI Transparency and Critical Thinking17:20 Economic and Quality of Life with AI21:56 Balancing Innovation and Resource Constraints25:57 The Role of Simplicity in Innovation31:10 Healthcare System Complexities
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Multi-factor authentication isn't the bulletproof security measure it once was. Preston Duren, VP of Threat Services at Fortified Health Security, explores how cybercriminals are outsmarting traditional MFA through sophisticated phishing tactics and MFA bombing. The conversation shifts to the debate over platform consolidation—does fewer mean safer, or are we creating attractive single points of attack? With AI rapidly transforming both offensive and defensive capabilities in cybersecurity, the panel tackles the controversial question of whether human oversight will soon become obsolete. Plus, the evolving landscape of cyber insurance and why some health systems are choosing to self-insure.
Key Points:
01:20 The Role of MFA in Cybersecurity07:46 Platform Vulnerabilities and Cyber Attacks13:57 Human vs. AI in Cybersecurity24:06 Bug Bounties and Ethical Hacking28:35 Cyber Insurance: Trends and Challenges
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October 13, 2025: Healthcare IT leaders are exhausted, CIO positions remain unfilled for months, and the pressure keeps mounting. In this candid conversation, Laura O'Toole, CEO and Founder of SureTest, explores why traditional CIO roles are transforming faster than organizations can define them. They discuss the widening gap between leadership expectations and operational reality, the critical shift from problem-solver to coalition-builder, and why empathy may be the most underrated leadership skill in healthcare technology. From managing burnout to navigating constant organizational change, this episode reveals what it really takes to lead effectively when "busy" has become the new normal and the rulebook keeps changing.
Key Points:
02:31 Managing Teams and Expectations09:57 Technology in Healthcare12:38 CIO Role and Market Dynamics20:21 The Importance of Building Coalitions26:25 Handling Global Events as a Leader31:22 Empathy and Connection in Leadership
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October 6, 2025: New research reveals an expected 18% reduction in hiring over the next two years, but this isn't about downsizing—it's about strategic reallocation. Bill Willis, CTO of IDMWORKS, joins to discuss these new breaking statistics. With 62% of organizations prioritizing AI skills over traditional development experience, the industry faces a critical choice between reducing headcount or upskilling existing talent. Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts warn that the traditional network perimeter has vanished, requiring a fundamental rethink of identity management and password-free authentication. Discover why data governance has never been more crucial for successful AI implementation and how smart leaders are preparing for this seismic shift in healthcare technology.
Key Points:
01:04 Scarcity in IT Hiring
11:38 The Evolving IT Security Perimeter
18:21 HIPAA Security Rule Updates
26:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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September 29, 2025: In this episode of Newsday, Drex is joined by Russell Teague of Fortified Health Security for a candid look at the storm brewing in healthcare IT. From the promises and pitfalls of AI to the growing sophistication of cyber threats, they explore how health systems are balancing innovation with risk. The conversation dives into financial pressures, shifting reimbursement models, and the tough choices CIOs and CISOs are facing as budgets tighten. With insights from the front lines, this discussion sheds light on how leaders can think differently, consolidate wisely, and prepare for the challenges reshaping healthcare cybersecurity.X: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
September 26, 2025: George Pappas, CEO of Intraprise Health by Health Catalyst, joins This Week Health for the News. Together, they unpack the Salesforce breaches that turned cybersecurity companies into victims and the explosion of personal injury lawyers now chasing data breach cases. With class action lawsuits up fivefold and cyber insurance policies being voided for non-compliance, they explore whether Epic's bold new AI platform strategy could be the answer—or create even bigger problems. As state cyber funding expires and critical infrastructure remains vulnerable, George tackles the uncomfortable question: in a world where everything connects to everything else, who's really watching the watchers?
Key Points:
00:53 Discussing SBOM Guidance
09:22 Salesforce Security Issues
15:04 State and Local Government Security
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September 22: Today on Newsday Sarah and Drex speak with Jacob Hansen, Chief Product and Technology Officer at AvaSure, about virtual care, AI, and more from the news. Jacob highlights the company's focus on inpatient care, virtual observation, and AI solutions. They address the rising expectation for tangible ROI from EHR AI projects, the importance of pilot studies, and the role of virtual care as critical infrastructure in healthcare. Additionally, the conversation delves into strategic approaches to optimizing existing technology in rural hospitals and the necessity for structured governance and clinical change management in implementing new tech solutions.Articles discussed in this episode:https://thisweekhealth.com/news_story/hospital-ceos-demand-strategic-impact-from-ehr-and-ai-investments/https://thisweekhealth.com/news_story/commonspirit-health-pioneers-ai-adoption-in-healthcare-boosting-earnings-by-100m/https://thisweekhealth.com/news_story/wickenburg-hospital-boosts-efficiency-with-strategic-ehr-optimization-initiative/
September 15, 2025: Patients now walk into doctors' offices armed with AI-generated diagnoses and treatment plans—but what happens when ChatGPT becomes your primary care physician? Ryan Bengtson, CEO and Board member at Panda Health, joins the This Week Health team to dive into this shifting dynamic while confronting an imminent government shutdown that threatens to pull the rug out from under telehealth programs and rural hospitals already hanging by a thread. As Epic makes its calculated move into ambient listening technology, disrupting yet another innovative startup space, the panel asks whether we're witnessing Epic stunt healthcare innovation or if it’s just business as usual.
Key Points:
00:55 AI in Healthcare: Patient Empowerment and Challenges
12:25 Government Shutdown and Its Impact on Healthcare
20:08 The Flawed Healthcare System and AI's Role
30:18 Epic's Impact on Innovation and Future Trends
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September 8, 2025: Ed Gaudet, CEO and Founder of Censinet, joins the This Week Health team for the news. When SalesLoft's Drift chatbot breach exposes over 700 companies through a single API vulnerability, it raises an unsettling question: are we witnessing a preview of something much larger? The security experts shift seats and play the role of the hackers, answering where they would attack first if they were the bad guys. With critical cybersecurity legislation potentially expiring and government support drying up, can healthcare keep up?
Key Points:
02:01 AI and Cybersecurity Threats
06:34 Phishing Attacks and Security Measures
12:57 Legal Hurdles in Cybersecurity
19:02 Managing AI Risks
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September 1, 2025: Cristian Rodriguez, Americas Field CTO at CrowdStrike, joins Drex for the news. What starts as a simple phone call to your help desk could be the beginning of a major security breach—but how do attackers make these voice phishing campaigns so convincing? Then, North Korean operatives successfully infiltrate major western companies as remote employees. How are these fake workers passing interviews, and what happens when their paychecks fund weapons programs while they potentially plant malware in critical systems? As the discussion unfolds, Cristian explains how modern cybercrime groups operate like legitimate businesses, complete with organizational structures and specialized roles. Key Points:02:36 Global Threat Report Insights06:20 North Korean Fake Employees11:10 Or96ganizational Structure of Cybercrime Groups14:47 AI in Ransomware NegotiationsX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
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