Hospitals are facing a critical evolution in cybersecurity as AI agents, biometrics, and digital identity tools integrate into clinical care. Imprivata Chief Medical Officer Sean Kelly warns that health systems must move beyond simple perimeter defense to address risks posed by autonomous AI agents capable of navigating internal systems at machine speed. According to Kelly, healthcare organizations must treat AI tools as high-risk third parties and implement robust governance for all vendors connecting to their clinical environments. The primary challenge involves balancing efficient clinician access to necessary digital resources with the need to prevent unauthorized lateral movement within hospital networks. This shift in risk management reflects broader industry concerns, as ECRI recently identified the misuse of AI chatbots as a top health tech hazard for 2026.

Hospitals are facing a critical evolution in cybersecurity as AI agents, biometrics, and digital identity tools integrate into clinical care. Imprivata Chief Medical Officer Sean Kelly warns that health systems must move beyond simple perimeter defense to address risks posed by autonomous AI agents capable of navigating internal systems at machine speed. According to Kelly, healthcare organizations must treat AI tools as high-risk third parties and implement robust governance for all vendors connecting to their clinical environments. The primary challenge involves balancing efficient clinician access to necessary digital resources with the need to prevent unauthorized lateral movement within hospital networks. This shift in risk management reflects broader industry concerns, as ECRI recently identified the misuse of AI chatbots as a top health tech hazard for 2026.