At the 2026 Splunk GovSummit in Washington, D.C., Indian Health Service leaders emphasized that cybersecurity is fundamentally linked to patient care in modern healthcare environments. Benjamin Koshy, Chief Information Security Officer at IHS, and Solomon Wilson, a cybersecurity project manager in the agency’s Division of Information Security, presented how the organization is integrating security, operations, and emerging technologies to support care delivery across its extensive network.
The Indian Health Service serves approximately 2.7 million patients through federal facilities located in 37 states, ranging from highly urban centers to extremely remote locations. This geographic diversity, combined with increasing reliance on digital health systems, has made resilience and visibility top priorities for the agency’s information security strategy.
Koshy stated that the agency’s primary mission remains patient care, and that cybersecurity functions as a business enabler rather than a separate concern. He explained that resilient systems are designed so clinicians can continue delivering care without disruption, even when IT teams are responding to issues behind the scenes.
“If something unexpected happens on the IT side, the doctor does not have to modify his clinical practice,” Koshy said. “To him, it’s almost transparent.” This approach ensures that security measures support, rather than interrupt, clinical workflows.
Wilson highlighted that the expansion of telehealth since the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the complexity of IHS environments. Delivering both in-person and virtual care requires seamless coordination across applications, data, networks, and access controls — all of which must be continuously monitored to maintain security and availability.
“We don’t just deliver the technology — we deliver healthcare access,” Wilson said, underscoring the agency’s view that reliable digital infrastructure is essential to equitable care delivery, particularly in underserved and remote communities.
AI Integration in Clinical and Security Operations
Beyond traditional cybersecurity measures, IHS is exploring artificial intelligence to support both clinical workflows and security operations. Koshy discussed the integration of AI-powered transcription tools into patient care as the agency rolls out a novel electronic health record system.
He noted that during typical medical visits, physicians often divide their attention between patients and computer screens while taking notes. With AI-assisted transcription — conducted only with patient consent and using government-approved devices — doctors can maintain eye contact and engage more fully in conversations.
“It makes the patient interaction a lot easier. You get to make eye contact with the physician and have a meaningful conversation without them having to look left and right and having to type,” Koshy said. He emphasized that clinicians remain fully accountable for the final record, reviewing and accepting AI-generated notes before they become part of the official medical record.
On the security side, IHS is leveraging AI to automate labor-intensive tasks such as log analysis. Koshy framed cybersecurity as inseparable from patient safety, stating, “From a security standpoint, we want to have a widespread understanding that for IHS, cybersecurity is patient safety. You can’t have one without the other, especially in the healthcare environment.”
Geographic Challenges and Resilience Planning
The vast and varied geography of IHS’s service area presents unique challenges for maintaining consistent cybersecurity and clinical operations. Facilities range from urban hospitals to clinics in remote Alaska Native villages and reservations across the Southwest and Northern Plains.
This dispersion necessitates robust remote monitoring capabilities and resilient system design to ensure that cybersecurity protections do not create barriers to care in areas with limited bandwidth or intermittent connectivity.
Wilson explained that the agency’s cybersecurity strategy includes continuous monitoring of network traffic, endpoint detection, and access anomalies across all locations — critical for identifying threats early in distributed environments where on-site IT support may be scarce.
These efforts are part of a broader initiative to maintain the integrity of critical health IT systems while supporting the agency’s goal of providing timely, accessible care to American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
Looking Ahead: Updates and Official Channels
As IHS continues to implement its cybersecurity and digital health initiatives, updates are typically shared through official channels including the Indian Health Service website, public presentations at events like the Splunk GovSummit, and reports to congressional oversight committees.
Stakeholders interested in tracking progress on IHS’s electronic health record modernization, AI integration in clinical settings, or cybersecurity resilience efforts can refer to the agency’s annual performance plans and information technology strategic plans, which are published annually and available via the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For the most current information on IHS programs and initiatives, visitors are encouraged to consult the official Indian Health Service newsroom and subscribe to updates through trusted government sources.
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