Sep 9, 2026
What happens when the system goes down in a cyberattack? Ichiro Ikuta, MD, MMSc, speaks with cohosts Lindsey Negrete, MD, and Amy Maduram, MD about real-world vulnerabilities and consequences of cyberattacks in radiology. Listen to their discussion in episode 3 of Extreme Radiology, an AJR Podcast Series.
https://www.ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.26.35847
*Key Takeaways
The Power Dynamics of Phishing: Hackers may impersonate department chairs or hospital CEOs using spoofed emails to pressure staff into handing over login credentials. Always verify suspicious requests via a direct phone call or in-person conversation.
The Threat of Outside CDs: Discs containing outside imaging studies are major vectors for malware. To help prevent spreading a digital infection, outside CDs should be uploaded in isolated, dedicated environments rather than directly on standard clinical workstations.
AI and Blockchain in Cybersecurity: While blockchain technology offers decentralized tracking to protect financial and patient data, artificial intelligence is a double-edged sword, equipping both cybersecurity defenders and malicious hackers with significantly more powerful tools.
*Chapters
0:00 - Opening
2:07 - Why Cybersecurity Matters
4:15 - How Hospitals Get Hacked
8:31 - Spotting Phishing Tricks
11:24 - When Systems Go Down
14:40 - Legal Duties and Training
16:25 - Recovery and Backlog Reality
20:01 - AI and Blockchain Threats
22:39 - Can You Hack It? Game
27:32 - Radiology Targets and Defenses
30:05 - Wrapping Things Up
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*These sections were generated using artificial intelligence (Descript and Google Gemini) and then reviewed for accuracy.