Applying the RCA-50 Cyber Readiness Assessment Framework to Healthcare Organizations

Abstract

Healthcare organizations face persistent cybersecurity threats driven by the sensitivity of protected health information (PHI), regulatory obligations, and operational constraints. Small healthcare providers, including clinics, long-term care facilities, and specialty practices, often lack the resources and expertise required to implement complex cybersecurity frameworks effectively. Building upon the RCA-50 Cyber Readiness Assessment Framework, this paper examines the application of RCA-50 within healthcare environments to assess organizational readiness, identify systemic gaps, and support risk-informed decision-making. The study maps RCA-50’s five domains to healthcare-specific operational and compliance realities, including workforce awareness, technical safeguards, governance practices, identity management, and incident response preparedness. The paper demonstrates how RCA-50 provides a practical, interpretable, and scalable approach to cybersecurity readiness assessment in healthcare without imposing compliance-heavy or audit-centric burdens.