According to a recent study by UNG, there’s an attempted cyberattack every 39 seconds. And the healthcare industry is a prime target. Why? Because these sites hold exactly what hackers want: patient data, billing information, and access to sensitive systems like telehealth platforms and appointment booking tools.
And yet, many healthcare sites rely on outdated security practices or think a basic firewall is enough. Spoiler alert: it’s not.
In 2025, protecting your website is about more than patching vulnerabilities. It’s about thinking strategically, securing every interaction, and staying ahead of evolving threats.
Ready to learn how? Let’s dive in.
Who This Blog Is For: Types of Healthcare Websites
Private Practices
For private medical offices, websites serve as a digital front door. Patients book appointments, fill out intake forms, and even pay bills online. Without proper security, these portals can be easy targets for phishing or ransomware attacks.
Dental Offices
Dental websites rely heavily on plugins for booking, reminders, and payment processing. But these tools can create vulnerabilities if they aren’t carefully maintained. A poorly secured plugin can lead to data breaches, putting patient trust and compliance at risk.
Hospitals and Large Healthcare Systems
Hospitals often manage sprawling websites with patient portals, telehealth features, and integration with electronic medical records (EMR). These complex systems face unique challenges, like securing APIs and managing user access for large teams.
Telehealth and Specialized Providers
Telehealth providers and wellness clinics depend on video consultations, live chat tools, and real-time data transmission. These systems are convenient for patients but come with risks like data interception or compromised patient confidentiality.
Top 10 Website Security Tips For Healthcare Websites
1. Stop Treating Online Booking Tools Like Low-Risk Features
Online booking systems are often set up and forgotten. But the issue is that these tools collect patient names, contact info, and sometimes even insurance details. If your system isn’t secure, it’s like leaving a filing cabinet of patient records open on the street.
Hackers exploit booking systems in two main ways:
- Overloading (spamming) them with fake appointments (making it impossible for real patients to book);
- Exploiting poorly encrypted data to steal personal information;
So, how do you fix this? Choose industry-compliant booking tools that encrypt all data or have website security experts explore set up options. And don’t forget to test your system regularly. A quick vulnerability scan can reveal weak spots before hackers do.
2. Audit Every Third-Party Integration
Your website is not just a homepage. It’s likely connected to a CRM, contact forms, payment systems, and maybe even an email marketing tool. These third-party integrations make life easier, sure—but they also expand your attack surface.
Here’s an example of where things go wrong: A dental practice had a contact form plugin that was no longer supported by its developer. Hackers exploited it to redirect patients to a phishing page upon submission.
To avoid this:
- Audit your integrations quarterly. If a tool hasn’t been updated recently, replace it;
- Limit what each tool can access. Your CRM doesn’t need admin-level permissions;
- Use secure APIs for any data transfers between your site and third-party platforms;
- Third-party tools are helpful, but only when they’re secure;
- Don’t store data in your website after it has been transmitted to 3rd party system such as a CRM. Once transmitted, that data should be deleted from your website’s database;
3. Chatbots: Friendly Faces or Security Risks?
We’re starting to see chatbots everywhere. Especially on healthcare websites. They can be used for pre-screening, faster intake or just to answer basic questions. But they’re not as harmless as they seem.
Hackers can manipulate chatbots to collect sensitive information or even impersonate your practice.
What can you do?
- Use chatbots that encrypt all conversations;
- Limit what the bot is allowed to handle—basic questions only, no personal or financial data;
- Review chatbot activity logs regularly to ensure it’s not being misused;
- Ensure that you know exactly who in your team has access to the settings and configuration of any chat bots used on your website AND that they have strong passwords with 2FA in place;
4. Backups Aren’t Just a “Nice to Have”
If your website goes down—whether it’s from a cyberattack or an accidental misstep—a backup is the only thing standing between you and disaster. But here’s the catch: most backups are either stored improperly or never tested.
Whether you’re using a WordPress backup plugin, or doing it yourself, here are some tips:
- Automate backups. Humans forget – machines don’t;
- Store them offsite, preferably in an encrypted cloud. If they’re on the same server as your website, an attack will wipe them out, too;
- Test them. Restore a backup every so often on a staging site to make sure it’s usable. A corrupted backup is just as useless as no backup at all;
- Keep multiple backups going back in time so you have multiple restore points. Being able to restore a backup from earlier in the month/year improves risk mitigation significantly;
5. Hire Professionals for 24/7 Security
WordPress websites (and all other CMS platforms for that matter) are becoming increasingly more vulnerable as hackers find new methods to hack information and bring down sites. It’s also making it difficult for healthcare companies to manage these issues internally.
For healthcare companies, this rise in attacks isn’t just a technical challenge—it’s a resource issue. Managing vulnerabilities internally has become increasingly difficult, especially when IT teams are stretched thin. Constant updates, monitoring, and patching require time and expertise that many organizations simply don’t have.
This is why outsourcing to a managed WordPress security provider is often the best move.
A managed WordPress security provider can handle:
- Monitoring for suspicious activity around the clock;
- Managing updates for WordPress, plugins, and themes without breaking your site;
- Configuring firewalls to block targeted attacks;
- Running regular vulnerability scans and backups;
- Identify and resolve bugs, errors, downtime, slow load times and other issues without you having to create a ticket and wait for a response – it’s proactive, not reactive;
6. Stop Ignoring Your Plugins
WordPress plugins make it easy to add features to your site, but every plugin is a potential vulnerability. Outdated or unsupported plugins are a hacker’s dream.
Pro tip: Fewer plugins mean fewer risks. Only keep the ones you actually need, and update them frequently. You can use tools like Wordfence to scan for vulnerabilities. And if a plugin hasn’t been updated in over a year? It’s time to replace it.
7. Firewalls: Your Digital Gatekeepers
Firewalls filter out malicious traffic before it reaches your site. Think of it as a bouncer, letting in “good” traffic and keeping out the “bad” and malicious traffic.
But not all firewalls are created equal. Look for one that’s specifically designed to handle sensitive information moving through your website – as is true for most healthcare websites. It should block threats like SQL injections (used to steal patient data) and bot attacks on your booking system.
8. Telehealth Tools Need Extra Care
Telehealth has revolutionized healthcare, but it has also introduced new security risks. Without proper encryption, video calls and live chats can be intercepted.
To protect your telehealth systems:
- Use platforms with end-to-end encryption;
- Authenticate both patients and providers before sessions begin;
- Monitor for unusual activity, like repeated failed logins;
9. Real-Time Threat Monitoring
Cyberattacks don’t happen slowly—they escalate in seconds. Real-time monitoring tools can detect unusual activity, like multiple failed login attempts or unexpected traffic spikes, and alert you before it’s too late.
Consider it your early warning system, catching threats before they cause real damage. A good web application firewall (WAF) will include features related to preventing and automatically mitigating brute force attacks, DDoS attacks and other threats that require monitoring with a quick response time.
Closing Thought: Security Builds Trust
Between keeping plugins updated, monitoring for threats, and preventing breaches, it’s a full-time job. That’s where Wordzite comes in.
Our Managed WordPress Security Services take the stress out of website protection. From 24/7 monitoring and firewall management to daily backups and rapid recovery, we handle it all. While you focus on delivering outstanding care, we’ll make sure your site is locked down and running smoothly.
Your website should build trust, not vulnerabilities. Let Wordzite be your partner in security.
Ready to protect your site? Let’s talk.