In response to the increase of cyberattacks in health care settings, the Health Committee of the OECD asked for a paper on Digital Security as part of the OECD ongoing work on health data governance. This working paper emphasizes that as the healthcare industry undergoes digital transformation it brings significant benefits while simultaneously escalating the vulnerability to cyber threats.

This working paper summarises survey results based on the OECD framework for digital security risk management. The paper reveals varying levels of digital security alignment among countries, with Ireland and Korea exhibiting full alignment. Countries with specific strategies for digital security in health showed higher alignment to leading practices. The paper identifies key areas for improvement, including fostering a digital security culture through training, strengthening strategy and governance, and embedding risk assessment and treatment.

The paper also emphasises the need for collaboration on innovative tools to detect and manage digital security threats, such as multi-factor authentication and encryption. These collaborative efforts are essential to safeguard the digital foundations of modern healthcare systems and ensure the security of health data and services.