Closing the Cyber Gap Without Hiring a Full Time CISO

Rural hospitals are not too small to be targeted. In fact, they are often more vulnerable. In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, Phil Sobol sits down with Chris Riha, Senior Cybersecurity Advisor at CereCore, to talk about one of the biggest risks facing community hospitals today: cybersecurity. Chris brings a rare operator perspective. He spent more than 14 years inside Carilion Clinic leading clinical systems and medical device security and previously worked with the US Army Medical Department and MITRE. He understands both the operational realities of hospitals and the growing sophistication of cyber threats. They discuss: • Why rural hospitals are often targeted • The real impact of cyber incidents on communities • What a fractional CISO model actually looks like • How tabletop exercises build confidence and muscle memory • Federal and state funding opportunities many hospitals overlook Chris shares a powerful story of a critical access hospital that survived a cyber incident thanks to preparation, but not without significant strain on a very small IT team. If you are a rural CEO, CIO, board member, or healthcare leader trying to balance limited resources with growing cyber threats, this conversation offers practical, grounded guidance. Connect with show host Phil Sobol, Chief Commercial Officer at CereCore Connect with Chris Riha, Senior Cybersecurity Advisor at CereCore Want to evaluate your cybersecurity posture or explore fractional support options? Start a conversation with our team. Like what you hear? Follow or subscribe to The CereCore Podcast.