Case Study: El Camino Health achieves enhanced patient safety and clinical continuity with Proofpoint

Human-focused security strategy heralds new patient safety era of cybersecurity

El Camino Health is a nearly 70‑year‑old, not‑for‑profit health system serving Silicon Valley with two hospitals, 466 beds and roughly 1,552 physicians that cares for about 300,000 patients a year and earns regular national recognition. Facing escalating cyber threats that can directly impact patient safety and operational continuity, CIO Deborah Muro embraced “strategic humility,” shifting the focus from compliance and blanket defenses to continuous improvement and assessing exposures that could jeopardize care.

ECH partnered with Proofpoint to implement a human‑centric cybersecurity strategy that uses real‑time threat intelligence to prioritize likely attackers and most‑targeted personnel, combines targeted education and testing, and is building AI‑enhanced controls and a third‑party risk/redundancy program. The approach has strengthened prioritized defenses, reduced exposure to social‑engineering and impersonation attacks, and helped ensure clinical and business continuity while aligning cybersecurity investments with patient safety.

El Camino Health

Deborah Muro

Chief Information Officer