No patient wants to receive a healthcare data breach message, and no physician or payer wants to send one. Yet, in 2023, the number of such breaches has more than doubled compared with 2022, and it’s predicted that the number will continue to increase in 2024.  \r\n The proliferation of digital health tools during the pandemic and the implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act give patients access to and ownership of their own health information for the first time. While this has many benefits, it also leaves healthcare data and technologies more vulnerable to security breaches, including data leaks and distributed denial-of-service ( DDoS ) attacks.  \r\n As a result, healthcare providers and payers must prioritize protecting patient health data and systems to prevent catastrophic disruptions such as ambulance diversions and data leaks.…