Hospital security teams protect “many thousands of network-connected devices” while keeping patient care steady. A new Asimily survey shows that healthcare cybersecurity leaders still struggle most with visibility into the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).
Connected Medical Devices Expand The Attack Surface
Asimily calls cyber asset exposure management an ongoing challenge for hospital defenders. The report warns that exposed assets allow lateral movement after compromise, raising stakes as attacks on healthcare increase. It cites research showing 93% of healthcare organizations faced attacks in the past year.
Scale drives the anxiety for the Healthcare CISO. The report cites around 10 to 15 connected medical devices per hospital bed. That can mean “upwards of 350,000” Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices in large facilities. Many of those assets remain unknown or hard to track, the report says.
Cost pressure increases demand for cyber insurance. The report cites recoveries costing up to $3.9 million after a hospital cyberattack, including direct costs and lost revenue.
Survey Methodology And The CISO’s Role
Asimily used SurveyMotion and surveyed “dozens of North American Hospital CISOs.” The results show strong involvement by security leadership in device protection. The report says 50% “lead and make decisions” about Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) security. Another 26% influence decisions without final authority.
These figures become important for underwriting interviews, as insurers often seek clear ownership of controls and defined decision-making paths during crisis response.
Visibility Tops The Fix List
The survey asked leaders what they would solve first for connected medical devices. “Complete device visibility” led at 43%. Ransomware threat detection followed at 24%. Compliance automation ranked next at 22%.
The report describes visibility as “table stakes” for protecting critical data. It also points to fragmented coverage across IT and device fleets. It highlights gaps across Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and Operational Technology (OT) environments.
Asimily CEO Shankar Somasundaram echoed that theme in the press release. “This survey reinforces that visibility is the critical first step,” he said. He also pushed action beyond discovery. “Visibility… has to be paired with the ability to prioritize and act on what you find,” said Somasundaram.
Internal Process Issues Outrank Tooling Concerns
Asimily also asked about barriers to effective risk management for Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices. “Internal process issues” topped the list at 33%. Lack of visibility followed at 30%. Data overload came next at 20%. Tool limitations landed at 15%.
The report describes a familiar handoff failure. Clinical engineering may deploy and maintain medical devices. Security teams may learn about devices after the network connection has been established. The report states, “Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) often has no clear owner within many hospitals.”
The report also warns about third-party technicians and undocumented changes. It flags configuration drift as a path to “potential compromise.” Somasundaram called out the same cross-team friction. He cited “organizational silos” and urged coordination across clinical engineering, IT, and healthcare cybersecurity teams.
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Data Overload Masks Real Healthcare Cybersecurity Signals
The report links alert overload to device volume and constant network traffic. Large facilities may have 350,000 Internet of Medical Things systems communicating daily. This volume overwhelms teams responsible for validating normal behavior. The report recommends limiting dashboard signals to keep information manageable.
Tooling gaps add to the burden. The report says many device-focused tools fail to ingest traditional IT signals. That limitation blocks realistic risk prioritization. It calls for “a single pane of glass” across the entire cyber asset fleet.
Vulnerability Prioritization Still Looks Disconnected
The report says vulnerabilities in Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices present a leading 2026 exposure challenge. Manufacturers may restrict patching even when updates exist. That reality shifts many teams toward mitigation and segmentation.
Asimily asked how CISOs prioritize Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) vulnerabilities. The report found 22% use vendor alerts, CVSS, and device usage or criticality together. Eighteen percent rely on manual review. Fifteen percent report “no clear process.”
The report delivers a blunt verdict on manual triage. “Manual review often can’t efficiently put the vulnerability in the broader context,” it says. It calls device usage and criticality “the most effective method” of prioritization. It adds a time-saving claim for resource-strained teams. Criticality metrics can isolate “the top 1% riskiest devices.”
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What This Means For Cyber Insurance Conversations
The report’s themes closely align with underwriting scrutiny. Carriers often ask for proof of continuous asset discovery. They also ask for segmentation maturity and incident response paths. A healthcare CISO can use this survey data to justify investment. The report also cites that hospitals spend about 4% to 7% of their IT budget on cybersecurity.
Somasundaram framed the practical path forward in the press release. He called for strategies that connect discovery, prioritization, and remediation, “including segmentation.” He also urged collaboration across clinical engineering, IT, and security teams.
The main takeaways for healthcare cybersecurity are clear: prioritize inventory to ensure device visibility, use context to determine which assets require urgent attention, and establish strong processes to turn findings into actionable risk reduction.
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