The Beat

Rethinking Network Defense in Healthcare

Episode Summary

Cybersecurity in healthcare isn’t just about keeping attackers out anymore. It’s about what happens after they get in. In this episode, Chris Boehm, Field CTO of Zero Networks, breaks down how organizations can move toward “Zero Trust” without disrupting clinical operations. From legacy systems and third-party access to the growing risks of AI, Chris shares how visibility, identity-based segmentation, and smarter automation are helping healthcare organizations stay secure while keeping care moving. As healthcare organizations struggle to secure complex environments and protect sensitive patient data, it’s time to prioritize resilience over reactive strategies. Learn how healthcare teams can proactively reduce attack surfaces and build self-defending networks that keep critical operations running – even during active cyber incidents.

Episode Notes

Cybersecurity in healthcare isn’t just about keeping attackers out anymore. It’s about what happens after they get in. In this episode, Chris Boehm, Field CTO of Zero Networks, breaks down how organizations can move toward “Zero Trust” without disrupting clinical operations. From legacy systems and third-party access to the growing risks of AI, Chris shares how visibility, identity-based segmentation, and smarter automation are helping healthcare organizations stay secure while keeping care moving. 

As healthcare organizations struggle to secure complex environments and protect sensitive patient data, it’s time to prioritize resilience over reactive strategies. Learn how healthcare teams can proactively reduce attack surfaces and build self-defending networks that keep critical operations running – even during active cyber incidents. 

In this episode, they talk about:

• Traditional perimeter-based security is no longer enough to protect healthcare organizations from modern cyber threats.
• The industry is shifting from a focus on preventing breaches to a focus on containing them once they occur.
• “Zero Trust” in practice means continuously verifying identity and controlling access rather than assuming anyone inside the network is safe.
• Identity-based segmentation plays a critical role in reducing risk without disrupting day-to-day workflows.
• Healthcare organizations face a unique challenge in balancing strong security measures with the need to maintain seamless clinical operations.
• Most organizations achieve partial network segmentation, which leaves gaps that attackers can exploit.
• Solutions like those from Zero Networks enable full segmentation while still allowing normal business and clinical activities to continue.
• AI tools introduce new risks by potentially accessing more data than intended, especially without proper oversight.
• A lack of visibility into network activity remains one of the biggest gaps in modern cybersecurity strategies.
• Organizations must begin preparing now for upcoming regulatory changes, including evolving HIPAA requirements.
• Real-world challenges such as workforce turnover and limited IT resources make implementing and maintaining security even more complex.

A Little About Chris:

Chris is the Field Chief Technology Officer at Zero Networks, leading security strategy and revenue alignment globally. He drives enterprise growth by connecting customer realities to product, go-to-market, and executive decision-making across complex, high-value enterprise pursuits.

Specialize in Zero Trust architecture, identity-based microsegmentation, and lateral movement prevention—helping organizations reduce risk while enabling scale and operational resilience.

He’s also held leadership roles at SentinelOne during its post-IPO growth to ~$800M ARR and at Microsoft, contributing to the early adoption and enterprise scaling of security platforms such as Azure Sentinel. Not to mention, Chris has advised CISOs and executive teams on security strategy, risk, and transformation—translating complex challenges into measurable business outcomes.