Channel

UnHack the Podcast

Hosted by Drex DeFord

In-depth conversations about cybersecurity strategy, risk management, and building resilient healthcare organizations in the face of evolving cyber threats.

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Episodes (509)

Toggle shows

UnHack the Podcast UnHack the News Executive Interview Solution Showcase Newsday 2 Minute Drill

Feb 2, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: Are Health Systems Falling Behind in the Innovation Race? with Jason Rose

February 2, 2026: Are health systems being sidelined from healthcare's innovation revolution? Jason Rose , CEO of Clearsense , joins This Week Health fresh from the J.P. Morgan Conference to challenge the narrative that providers are absent from innovation discussions. Jason reveals what really happened inside JPM's exclusive health system presentations, from CEOs prioritizing AI transformation to CFOs rising as the new power players driving technology strategy. The conversation explores why app rationalization remains the unglamorous financial lever that unlocks innovation budgets, and why simplification might be healthcare's most underrated competitive advantage in 2026. Golf Tournament Registration: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 02:20 JPM Conference Insights 07:07 CEO and CFO Perspectives 13:54 Application Rationalization Challenges 22:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 28, 2026·2 Minute Drill

2 Minute Drill: Data Privacy Day - Why Patient Trust Depends on Responsibility with Drex DeFord

On Data Privacy Day, Drexon challenges healthcare leaders to move beyond compliance checkboxes and recognize privacy as a core component of "do no harm." As patient data flows through EHRs, cloud platforms, and AI systems, the responsibility to protect that trust doesn't live in policies—it lives with leadership. When data is over-collected or loosely governed, patients start holding back, and the critical trust between medical teams and patients begins to fracture. This year, data privacy should be about ownership: who decides what data we truly need, and who's willing to say no even when technology makes it easy? Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 27, 2026·UnHack the Podcast

UnHack (the Podcast): Your Vulnerability Scanner Is Lying to You with Jack Kufahl & Gregory Garneau

January 27, 2026: Jack Kufahl , CISO at Michigan Medicine , and Gregory Garneau , System VP and CISO at Hospital Sisters Health System , join Drex for an unfiltered conversation about building cybersecurity programs that outlast their founders. From hiring curious minds over credentialed experts to ditching traditional vulnerability management for threat-driven exposure strategies, these battle-tested CISOs reveal what actually works in healthcare security. They challenge conventional wisdom on staffing models, vendor relationships, and the real cost of forcing extraordinary people into ordinary roles. If you're tired of the same workforce shortage statistics and ready for actionable strategies, this conversation delivers. Key Points: 05:09 Creating a World-Class Cybersecurity Team 19:50 Disruptive Startups in Cybersecurity 20:51 Importance of Vendor Partnerships 22:48 Training and Career Development 27:18 Leadership and Management Insights Golf Tournament Registration: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 26, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: The ROI Ultimatum: Healthcare's New Survival Rule for 2026 with Zahid Rathore

January 26, 2026: Fresh from J.P. Morgan 2026, the This Week Health team joins Zahid Rathore , Senior Partner at Chartis , to dissect healthcare's new reality. With Epic and Microsoft topping CFO spend lists and unpredictability replacing planning cycles, one thing is clear: vendors must prove bankable ROI immediately or lose the deal. The conversation explores how healthcare leaders are protecting the core while navigating AI agents, third-party risks, and the compression of innovation timelines from three-year returns to prove-it-tomorrow expectations. Key Points: 02:44 Hotel Experience and Healthcare Lessons 04:13 JP Morgan Conference Highlights 16:35 Operational Challenges in Healthcare 22:11 Security Concerns and Future Outlook

Jan 22, 2026·2 Minute Drill

2 Minute Drill: Cybersecurity Insiders Plead Guilty to Healthcare Ransomware Attacks with Drex DeFord

In a stunning betrayal of trust, two cybersecurity professionals—an incident response manager and a ransomware negotiator—pled guilty to operating as affiliates of the AlphaV/BlackCat ransomware gang. Between May and November 2023, they attacked five U.S. companies, including healthcare organizations, while simultaneously working in roles designed to help ransomware victims recover. The FBI's seizure of the gang's infrastructure exposed chat logs and payment records that led to their arrests. Both face up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 12th. This case highlights the critical importance of vetting third-party incident response providers and understanding insider threats in cybersecurity. Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 21, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: Stress-Free EHR Migration and Education with Abhishek Begerhotta

January 21, 2026: Abhishek Begerhotta , CEO of 314e Corporation , shares battle-tested insights from over 25 years in healthcare IT, including his pivotal role in Kaiser Permanente's landmark Epic implementation. From surviving IBM's clinical system cancellation to building a product-focused company specializing in EHR migrations, Abhishek reveals the hidden complexities of moving massive healthcare datasets and why the wave of Oracle Cerner migrations isn't slowing down. He discusses innovative AI-powered solutions for document management and just-in-time training that are transforming how health systems approach data conversion and staff enablement. Golf Tournament Registration: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 03:32 Challenges in EHR Data Migration 12:03 Innovations in Just-in-Time Training 15:57 Intelligent Document Management 18:37 Final Thoughts and Advice for CIOs X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 19, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: OpenAI's Big Healthcare Launch and a New Age of Personal Records

January 19, 2026: Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson unpack OpenAI's two major healthcare announcements that could fundamentally reshape how patients interact with their health data—and how health systems govern AI. ChatGPT Health promises to finally deliver on the personal health record dream, letting patients aggregate everything from Apple Health to medical records in one secure place. Meanwhile, ChatGPT for Healthcare gives CIOs the governed sandbox they've been desperate for. Hear why patient data monetization, clinical trial recruitment, and the shift from provider liability to patient empowerment could make this time actually different. Golf Tournament Registration: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 05:00 ChatGPT Health Announcement 17:40 Personalized GPT and Analytics in Healthcare 22:05 Wearable Health Tech and Personal Health Records 25:35 Community Events and LinkedIn Series

Jan 14, 2026·2 Minute Drill

2 Minute Drill: AI Agents as the Next Insider Threat with Drex DeFord

As healthcare organizations deploy AI agents across clinical, business, and research operations, we're creating a new class of insider threat—one that works 24/7, follows instructions perfectly, and moves at machine speed. Drexel explores why AI agents with tool access become de facto insiders and why we need clear boundaries, tight access controls, and human approval workflows before these powerful assistants cause unintended damage. The key insight: the moment an AI agent gets tools, it become

Jan 14, 2026·Executive Interview

Executive Interview: Demystifying Identity and Digital Experiences with Steve Gwizdala

January 14, 2026: Identity has evolved from a back-office security concern into the foundation of healthcare's competitive strategy. Steve Gwizdala , VP of Healthcare at Ping Identity , reveals how health systems are rethinking identity to win patient loyalty in an era of unprecedented choice. With patients selecting care based on digital convenience and clinicians demanding frictionless access, the stakes have never been higher. From eliminating password fatigue to preparing for agentic AI threats, Steve unpacks the identity challenges reshaping healthcare delivery. Discover why smartphones made digital experience a requirement, not a nice-to-have, and what leaders should prioritize as identity becomes central to revenue growth and brand loyalty. Golf Tournament Signups: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 02:15 Challenges and Solutions in Identity Management 05:58 Modernizing Identity for Better Outcomes 10:55 Preparing for the Future of AI Identity in Healthcare 18:52 Speed Round and Closing Thoughts X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 14, 2026·Solution Showcase

Solution Showcase: From Data Chaos to Connected Care with Mike Cordeiro and Joe Diver

January 14, 2026: When 50% of your urgent care patients walk in with zero medical history, how do you deliver quality care? Mike Cordeiro , Senior Director of Interoperability Market and Product Strategy at MEDITECH , and Joe Diver , Signature Healthcare ’s CIO, discuss how they transformed fragmented records into a unified view that nearly 400 clinicians adopted in record time. One physician called it "the best technical change in years." Learn why interoperability isn't just about regulatory compliance anymore—it's becoming the lifeline that allows independent hospitals to survive, compete, and deliver coordinated care without sacrificing their autonomy. Golf Tournament Registration: https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/686801-ThisWeekHealth Key Points: 01:27 Signature Healthcare's Core Challenges 03:58 MEDITECH's Impact on Clinicians 06:25 Adoption and Advanced Features 12:18 Future of Interoperability and Conclusion X : This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Jan 12, 2026·Newsday

Newsday: Epic Faces Lawsuits and the AI Proving Ground with This Week Health

January 12, 2026: Epic is defending three simultaneous lawsuits while CIOs grapple with vendors imposing staggering price increases—some as high as 600%. Bill, Sarah, and Drex tackle the uncomfortable truth about AI leadership: it's time to figure it out or risk getting left behind. They explore why AI with context is transformative while AI without it looks foolish, discuss whether board members know how to hire AI-savvy CIOs, and predict a major shift in how healthcare organizations approach t

Jan 8, 2026·2 Minute Drill

2 Minute Drill: Healthcare's Cybersecurity Workforce Crisis With Drex DeFord

Drex breaks down ISC2's 2025 cybersecurity workforce study and explains why healthcare's security staffing problem isn't about finding more people—it's about broken operating models and unrealistic expectations. He covers the critical skills gap in translating cyber risk to business risk, the burnout driving away mid-career talent, and why third-party risk management has become more complex than ever. Plus, practical solutions healthcare CISOs are using: growing security teams internally by hiring from other departments and strategically leveraging managed services. The workforce gap won't be fixed by traditional hiring—it requires designing better systems and building resilience instead of just buying more tools. Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer