Building Cyber Resilience in Life Sciences and Pharma

The pharmaceutical and life sciences industries stand at the intersection of innovation and vulnerability. While digital transformation has accelerated breakthroughs in drug discovery, clinical trials, and manufacturing, it has also exposed these sectors to escalating cyber risks.

A complex network of third parties and joint ventures, coupled with stringent global regulations such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) demands that Life Sciences organizations maintain robust cybersecurity frameworks to safeguard data integrity and patient privacy. Failure to adhere to regulations can result in significant financial penalties. However, the impact of a data breach extends far beyond monetary fines. Breaches can severely erode the trust of patients, regulators, and investors, undermining an organization’s reputation and credibility.

The rise in personalized medicine also amplifies cybersecurity risks by generating vast amounts of sensitive genomic and clinical data shared across complex digital ecosystems. This interconnected landscape creates more entry points for attackers and makes data breaches harder to control.

Striking at the Heart of the Pharma and Life Sciences Industry

Let’s take a look at some of the leading factors that make this sector vulnerable:

1) Data: At the heart of life sciences and pharma

From genomic data to clinical trial results and research, life sciences companies hold some of the most valuable and sensitive information, vital for innovation and trust that underpins patient relationships, partnerships, and regulatory confidence. Beyond theft, data manipulation can distort research integrity and damage reputations that have been built over decades.

2) Rapid adoption of AI and advanced tech: The double-edged sword

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly driving efficiencies in research and production but also amplifying exposure to new forms of cyberattack. Meanwhile, quantum computing threatens to break traditional encryption methods, requiring a forward-looking approach to cryptographic resilience.

3) Complex supply chains

Most pharma and life sciences organizations have complex interconnected supply chains. Breaches at any point in the supply chain environments can result in data exposure, operational shutdowns, and regulatory non-compliance.

4) Legacy systems

Legacy systems that control plant and manufacturing processes were never designed with cybersecurity in mind. Their convergence with IT networks has created new, high-impact vulnerabilities.

5) OT and SCADA

Operational Technology (OT) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors are vital to manufacturing, research, and quality control but they are increasingly exposed to cyber threats. In industrial environments, such attacks can disrupt operations, compromise product integrity, and, in severe cases, endanger plant safety or even result in fatalities.

6) Intellectual property

Protecting intellectual property (IP) is vital in this industry, where safeguarding trade secrets and patents underpins competitiveness and profitability. Effective IP management enables continued innovation, product availability, and patient access. Due to the sector’s research-intensive nature, life sciences companies face elevated risks from IP breaches, making robust protection strategies essential.

7) Industrial ransomware

Ransomware attacks on manufacturing and R&D systems are on the rise. These attacks can halt production lines, corrupt critical data, and potentially impact drug delivery to market.

8) IoT and Industrial IoT (IIoT) weaknesses

While Internet of Things (IoT) devices enable precision manufacturing and real-time monitoring, they also introduce new attack vectors. Poorly secured devices can serve as entry points for malware propagation.

CISO’s Strategies, Priorities and Plans

Here’s how pharma and life sciences’ CISOs can address cyber threats to ensure business innovation and growth without worrying about being at risk:

1) Engage the board effectively

Cybersecurity is a top priority for boards and executive teams. The pharmaceutical and life sciences sector is fortunate to be ahead of the curve in this regard, but ongoing engagement is key. At Atos, we recommend using the ROSE framework to communicate all cybersecurity messages to your board.

R = Resilience O = Outcomes S = Safety E= Enablement

2. Focus on the basics. Relentlessly.

A solid cybersecurity foundation safeguards innovation, compliance, and trust across the value chain. Enforcing strong access controls, multi-factor authentication, and robust patch management (across IT and OT) can minimize the impact of cyberattacks. Employee awareness training helps prevent phishing and insider threats.

3. Implement network segmentation and zero trust

Implement strict segmentation between IT, OT, and R&D environments. Apply least-privilege access controls and multi-factor authentication, especially for engineers and third-party vendors accessing production networks.

4. Fortify the supply chain

Mandate third-party cyber audits and embed cybersecurity clauses into vendor contracts. Strategies such as zero trust architecture are transforming how life sciences organizations secure and connect their operations in the supply chain.

5. Cultivate a cyber-aware workforce

Even the most advanced technologies can fail without a workforce that lacks cybersecurity training and awareness. The good news is that the life sciences and pharmaceuticals sector is generally well ahead when it comes to security awareness and culture, ensuring cybersecurity is viewed as everyone’s responsibility, not just the CISO’s.

6. Develop and test a cyber incident response plan

Readiness is key. Every organization should engage in tabletop exercises while defining clear recovery protocols and conduct regular simulations to evaluate their efficacy.

7. Collaborate across the ecosystem

Engage with industry peers, regulators, and intelligence-sharing groups to stay ahead of evolving attack patterns. Cyber resilience is strongest when it is collaborative.

Collaborating for Cybersecurity

At Atos, we believe that cybersecurity in pharma and life sciences is much more than just protecting data – it is a vital foundation for preserving trust, ensuring compliance, powering life-saving innovation, and protecting the science that saves lives. Organizations that make cyber resilience central to their mission don’t just protect operations — they shape the future of secure, data-driven medical breakthroughs.

>> Explore how Atos is accelerating digital innovation in the pharma and life sciences sector with the power of AI: https://atos.net/en/services/cybersecurity

>> If you are looking to secure your pharma or life sciences organization with an advantage in cybersecurity, connect with me and let’s chart out your roadmap to digital transformation.

Posted 07/01/26