Health workers in developing countries know that isolating tuberculosis patients is an outdated and potentially harmful practice, but lack the resources to move away from it.

© Arlette Bashizi for The New York Times

A study reported that the conventional method of searching follicular fluid didn’t find all the eggs. The new technology found extra eggs more than half the time.

© Cassandra Klos for The New York Times

A federal law taking effect in November severely limits the amount of THC, the euphoric cannabis compound, allowed in over-the-counter items. Many groups are fighting back.

© Bryan Anselm for The New York Times

One to two cups of caffeinated tea per day helps too, researchers found after following nearly 132,000 people for 40 years.

© Angela Weiss/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

As the enterprise world shifts from chatbots to autonomous systems, Operant AI on Thursday launched Agent Protector, a real-time security solution designed to govern and shield artificial intelligence (AI) agents. The launch comes at a critical inflection point for corporate technology. Gartner predicts that by the end of 2026, 40% of enterprise applications will feature..

The post Operant AI’s Agent Protector Aims to Secure Rising Tide of Autonomous AI appeared first on Security Boulevard.

A long-term study of 292 families linked fathers’ parenting style to their children’s heart health years later. To researchers’ surprise, no such link was found with mothers.

Explore the transformative role of self-healing AI in cybersecurity. This article delves into its integration within DevSecOps, the balance between AI autonomy and human oversight, industry applications, and the challenges of implementation in protecting complex digital environments.

The post Self-Healing AI for Security as Code: A Deep Dive Into Autonomy and Reliability  appeared first on Security Boulevard.

A decades-long study suggested that close relationships with family members during teenage years could lead to a rich network of friendships in adulthood.

© Alamy

The case is the latest action taken by a state with an abortion ban against providers in states that support abortion rights.

© Hannah Yoon for The New York Times

Healthcare organizations in the United States face threats, ranging from public health emergencies to cyberattacks. To support hospitals and health systems in enhancing their preparedness and resilience, the American Hospital Association (AHA) has released two comprehensive resources for cyber preparedness in healthcare. The two guides, includes, Strategies for Medical Surge Management During Public Emergencies and Strategies for Cyber Preparedness in Health Care.   These guides are part of the AHA’s Convening Leaders for Emergency and Response initiative and are intended to increase cyber preparedness in healthcare, support staff, and sustain care delivery during crises.  The medical surge management guide is structured around the “four S’s”: staffing, supply, space, and systems. This framework provides hospitals with a methodical approach to anticipating and managing sudden increases in patient demand during pandemics, natural disasters, or other public health emergencies. 

Staffing: Building a Flexible, Resilient Workforce 

Staffing is critical for hospitals to respond effectively to medical surges. Adequate personnel, prepared for high-pressure scenarios, are necessary to safely expand capacity and maintain quality care. Public health crises often place prolonged stress on healthcare workers, highlighting the importance of workforce resilience and flexibility.  The AHA recommends tiered staffing models, which allow experienced clinicians, such as ICU nurses or physicians, to lead teams composed of redeployed personnel or float staff. This approach maintains high-acuity supervision while maximizing workforce capacity and reducing burnout.  A competency matrix is another key tool. By mapping staff skills, certifications, and cross-training, leaders can make rapid, informed staffing decisions during emergencies. When integrated into digital staffing platforms, these matrices enable real-time redeployment and highlight areas requiring pre-event training. Dedicated float pools also contribute to surge readiness. Cross-trained personnel can be deployed to high-demand areas without overburdening core teams, guided by activation protocols and experienced float leaders. Centralized capacity command centers further support staffing decisions, using real-time data on patient volume, acuity, and bed availability to coordinate response efforts. 

Supply: Maintaining Access to Critical Resources 

Reliable access to medical supplies, equipment, and medications is vital during surge events. Sudden spikes in demand can strain supply chains, making proactive inventory management and planning essential.  Hospitals are encouraged to use digital tracking systems such as barcode scanners, RFID technology, and real-time dashboards to monitor supply use and prevent shortages. Emergency stockpiles organized into modular kits, based on functions like infection control or airway management, can streamline deployment during high-pressure scenarios.   Predictive tools, including the CDC’s PPE Burn Rate Calculator and the DASH model, allow healthcare organizations to forecast needs and stay ahead of demand. Strategic stockpiles and multisource vendor contracts further strengthen supply resilience. 

Space: Expanding and Adapting Care Environments 

Managing a medical surge also requires adaptable physical space. Hospitals must be able to expand or repurpose care areas while maintaining infection control, safety, and operational efficiency.  Predesignating surge zones, including inpatient units, recovery areas, or off-site facilities, ensures rapid activation. Infrastructure readiness, such as Wi-Fi connectivity, electronic health record access, and medical gas availability, must be assessed in advance. Regulatory considerations, including emergency waivers and accessibility standards, should also be addressed. Regular drills and simulations familiarize staff with alternate care setups and help identify operational gaps. 

Systems: Coordination, Communication, and Cybersecurity 

Strong organizational systems underpin effective surge response, enabling clear governance, communication, and resource management. The companion AHA guide on cybersecurity highlights that resilient systems are equally critical for protecting healthcare organizations from increasing cyber threats. Cyber incidents, much like public health emergencies, can disrupt operations and require coordinated response plans to maintain patient safety and continuity of care. 

Cyber Preparedness in Healthcare

The AHA emphasizes that cyber preparedness in healthcare must be treated as an enterprise-wide priority rather than a purely technical challenge. Hospitals and health systems should embed cyber risk into governance frameworks, cultivate a cyber-aware workforce, and plan for clinical continuity during incidents. This includes cross-functional incident response plans, realistic drills, and robust backup and communication systems.  Third-party risk management is a critical component, requiring ongoing assessment of vendors and subcontractors. Additionally, hospitals are encouraged to collaborate regionally with healthcare coalitions and public health agencies to align cyber response efforts and strengthen collective resilience.  By adopting structured approaches across staffing, supply, space, and systems, and by integrating cybersecurity readiness into core operations, healthcare organizations can better anticipate challenges, respond effectively to emergencies, and recover quickly from disruptions. 

By Suresh Kanniappan, Sales Head, Infrastructure Management and Security Services, US at Happiest Minds Let’s revisit the recent ransomware attack that hit one of the biggest hospital networks in the US. The cyberattack shut down surgeries, made patients' records unavailable, and forced emergency departments to divert incoming cases. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated story. Throughout 2025, healthcare organisations have faced a growing wave of cyber threats, highlighting the urgent need for Cyber Resilience in Healthcare. The scale and precision of cyber threats have increased manifold, with impacts extending far beyond data breaches: disrupting care, delaying diagnoses, and even shaking the very foundation of patient trust.

Why has Cyber Resilience in Healthcare Become More Critical Than Ever?

The recent report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which found that more than 133 million patient records were compromised in the first half of 2025, marking the highest number to date. More concerning is the impact of ransomware attacks, which have grown 3X, affecting everything from the electronic health record systems to connected diagnostic equipment. All these incidents have had a significant impact on human life. There were many postponed surgeries, families were afraid about what was next, and the clinicians had no access to the vital data when it was needed most. All these were not just operational challenges; they were an alarm for all healthcare systems that building a strong resilience is essential in today's highly connected digital world. What we need to understand is clear: cybersecurity in healthcare is no longer about prevention alone; it's about resilience, recovery, and readiness. So, what must the healthcare industry focus on in 2026 and beyond?

1. Zero Trust to Replace Perimeter: Zero Trust security is already in place, but how effectively it is implemented is to be verified. Zero trust will continue to be the backbone of every industry, ensuring every user, every device, and every access is verified without exception. It is not just about restricting access; it is about knowing who has access to what and granting permission to the right people for the right requirements.
2. AI will Redefine Defense: AI has become an integral part of our lives; it is re-shaping both cyber-attacks and defense. Cyber adversaries are using AI to create personalized phishing attacks, exploit unpatched devices, and steal data and credentials at a pace humans can't match. The advice for healthcare experts is to implement AI as a new defense engine, deploying AI-driven threat analytics, automated response workflows, and continuous monitoring to spot and contain threats in real time. This will help healthcare security teams protect data and clinical operations much faster and with higher precision.
3. Supply Chain Vigilance to be Stepped Up: The recent breaches over the last 1 year have not happened within the boundaries of the hospitals, but it is beyond that through third-party vendors, devices, and software. It's time for the healthcare providers to look into every vendor that enforces real-time risk monitoring, contractual accountability, and shared visibility across the entire healthcare and value chain. They need to bring strong security in place to ensure resiliency.
4. Regulations Will Drive Accountability: Global regulators are strengthening mandates around healthcare data protection, breach reporting, and AI transparency. In the coming year, leadership involvement in cybersecurity governance will need to be stronger. Boards and CXOs will need to give digital safety the same priority as patient safety. Compliance will become an ongoing practice of accountability rather than just an annual paperwork exercise. Role of the leaders

Strategic Priorities of Healthcare Leaders

1. Redefining Cyber Resilience as a Leadership Imperative: The need of the hour is resilience, and it should start from the top management itself to foster leadership commitment and shared responsibility for bringing in a positive mindset, investing in better cybersecurity tools and service providers that enable patient safety.
2. Empower People, Not Just Systems: Resilience is not built by technology; it is to be instilled within us, and human awareness is the best barrier. Each staff member, from the frontend IT administrators to nurses, is an integral part of ensuring the organization's integrity and patients' safety. Periodically conducting simulations, awareness campaigns, and real-world readiness drills will be necessary to make security a shared responsibility rather than an isolated function.
3. Establish a Culture of Collaboration: Threats don’t operate in isolation, and neither should our defense. Leaders must champion collaboration across hospitals, vendors, industry groups, and public-sector bodies. Proactive threat intelligence sharing and coordinated response frameworks enable healthcare organizations to anticipate disruptions rather than merely react. True resilience is never built in isolation; rather, it is forged through partnership.

The Way Forward: Resilience as the Heartbeat of Healthcare

Healthcare no longer remains confined to hospital premises. It has gone much beyond the walls of any hospital. Every network and every device that carries the patient's record or clinical data must be protected in today's connected world. It is more about constant trust rather than a one-time effort or technical achievement. Being resilient, even in the face of system failure, without compromising patient care, is vital. As for 2026, organizations would have to balance innovation with integrity and treat cybersecurity not just as a compliance checklist but as a shared responsibility to prioritize patient health and data. Integrating AI into cybersecurity practice will further help strengthen threat detection and response by identifying threats and containing them even before they strike. The future of health is not defined by how sophisticated AI will become but by how well it is integrated into every layer of care. Resilience will come from AI-powered systems that protect patient data, strengthen clinical operations, and make sure the promise of technology truly supports the promise of healing.

The Trump administration has signed $11 billion in agreements with African nations, in deals tied to foreign policy goals.

© Gulshan Khan for The New York Times

A study of more than 5,000 pages of agency documents on mifepristone over 12 years found that agency leaders almost always followed the evidence-based recommendations of scientists.

© Hannah Yoon for The New York Times