Securing Philippine health care in the age of AI

TAGUIG CITY, Philippines — Artificial intelligence is changing what is possible in health care.

It is helping doctors detect diseases earlier, support clinical decision-making, improve hospital operations and extend health care services to hard-to-reach communities.

For the Philippines, where the health care sector continues to navigate workforce and access challenges, the potential is significant.

But there is another side to this transformation that cannot be overlooked: AI is changing the cybersecurity equation, too.

The same technology that can help health care professionals work smarter can also help cybercriminals work faster.

In fact, a 2026 study commissioned by Fortinet and conducted by Forrester Consulting found that 57% of organizations in the country cite AI-driven threats as a top cybersecurity risk.

As health care organizations adopt AI, cloud services, connected medical devices and other digital technologies, they are not only expanding what their systems can do.

They are also expanding what needs to be protected.

The question, then, is no longer simply how health care can adopt AI.

It is how we can move from adoption to protection.

When technology accelerates both care and cybercrime

The cybersecurity landscape is evolving at a pace that is increasingly difficult for organizations to match.

Cybercrime has become more organized, with threat actors using automation and technology to accelerate reconnaissance and identify potential vulnerabilities.

AI is adding another layer to this evolution, allowing attackers to generate more convincing phishing attempts, automate malicious activities and scale attacks faster.

This matters even more in health care because the consequences of disruption can go beyond financial or reputational damage.

Hospitals depend on technology to support clinical services, store patient information, operate medical equipment and keep essential systems running around the clock.

At the same time, the health care environment itself is becoming more connected.

Teleconsultation platforms, cloud services, electronic records, medical devices, applications and other systems are creating a more digital patient journey but also a broader attack surface.

In this environment, cybersecurity cannot be treated as something that comes after innovation.

It has to be built into it from the start.

Complexity is still a challenge

One of the biggest challenges for health care organizations is that there is no longer a single environment to protect.

A hospital may have traditional IT infrastructure alongside cloud workloads, connected medical devices, operational technology, third-party systems and remote users.

Some medical and operational devices also have long life cycles and were not designed with modern cybersecurity requirements in mind.

This creates a visibility problem.

Organizations need to know what is connected to their networks, understand how those systems interact and identify unusual activity across an increasingly complex environment.

Adding more security tools to address every new risk can create another problem: more complexity.

When security capabilities operate in silos, teams may have to move between different systems, manage separate alerts and piece together information before they can understand what is happening.

For health care organizations, where every second can matter, this can slow the ability to detect and respond to threats.

From fragmented security to a platform approach

This is where a platform approach can make a difference.

Instead of treating each security challenge separately, organizations can bring their security capabilities together to gain visibility, manage risk, respond to threats and report consistently across their environments.

It starts with observability, giving security teams a clear view of users, devices, applications and traffic across traditional infrastructure, medical devices and operational technology.

This supports control by enabling consistent security policies across environments.

Automation can then streamline routine tasks and accelerate response, with AI helping security teams analyze data, prioritize threats and act more efficiently.

Finally, reporting helps measure security performance, support governance and demonstrate that controls are working as intended.

The value is not simply in having four separate capabilities.

It is in having them work together.

This shift is already underway.

According to the same Forrester study commissioned by Fortinet, unified platform adoption among organizations in the Philippines is projected to rise from 20% today to 59% over the next 12 to 24 months.

Technology still needs people

Even the most integrated security platform cannot replace the people responsible for securing and managing it.

As AI reshapes the threat landscape, cybersecurity teams also need to build new capabilities, from understanding AI-powered security tools to managing the risks and governance considerations that come with AI adoption.

However, the skills gap remains a key concern.

Fortinet’s 2026 Cybersecurity Skills Gap Global Research Survey found that 73% of respondents in the country identify finding talent with specific AI experience as a top recruiting challenge.

At the same time, 98% are likely to invest in AI-related cybersecurity training or certifications over the next 12 months, highlighting the growing focus on equipping existing teams with the skills needed for an AI-driven security environment.

For health care organizations, this means developing professionals who understand both cybersecurity and the realities of clinical and hospital operations.

The goal is not to choose between people and technology but to make technology work better for people.

That means helping security teams work more efficiently, respond to threats faster and keep pace with what comes next.

Moving from adoption to protection

AI can help Philippine health care become more efficient, accessible and responsive, but realizing that potential requires more than adopting new technologies.

Health care organizations must also build the security, infrastructure, governance and skills needed to use AI responsibly and protect the systems that make digital care possible.

The goal is not simply to make health care more digital but to make it more secure, resilient and trusted.

When technology supports health care, protecting it means protecting more than systems and data.

It means protecting continuity of care and the people who depend on it.