Cyber Breach Response Planning for Senior Care Communities: 6 Steps to Implement Now

The senior care industry relies heavily on technology and connectivity, which makes cyber breaches a serious and growing risk. According to SentinelOne, global cyber security data breaches have increased by as much as 40 percent in 2026, with attacks now averaging 1,968 per week—an 18 percent increase compared to 2025.

A fast, well-coordinated response can significantly reduce the impact of a cyber incident. Preparation is no longer optional. Communities need a clear, actionable plan in place before a breach occurs. Read on to learn the key steps your community can take to prepare for cyber incidents and protect residents, operations, and data.

Understanding Cyber Threats in Senior Living

Tara Clayton, J.D., managing director of the senior living & LTC industry practice at Marsh

Senior living communities manage large volumes of sensitive financial, personal, and healthcare data, making them prime targets for phishing, social engineering, and ransomware attacks. Tara Clayton, J.D., managing director of the senior living & LTC industry practice at Marsh, notes that the combination of valuable data, third-party vendors, and multiple software systems across locations increases exposure. “Ransomware and phishing attacks are key risks for these organizations,” she says.

Senior care communities also face unique operational pressures. Aaron Puckett, vice president of Managed Services Group, explains that limited tolerance for downtime creates leverage for attackers. “This is also why more organizations are looking to partner with proven controls like SOC 2 Type II to help reduce that risk,” he says. SOC 2 Type II is an independent audit that evaluates a community’s security controls for effectiveness and reliability. “SOC 2 Type II is crucial because it validates that security controls and response processes are independently audited and proven to work overtime, not just documented,” adds Puckett.

Steps to Prepare for a Cyber Breach

Preparation allows communities to respond quickly and effectively when a cyber incident occurs. The following steps can help communities prepare for this risk.

1. Establish a Breach Response Plan

Aaron Puckett, vice president of Managed Services Group

A cyber breach response plan provides structure and direction during an emergency. Whether your community is creating a new plan or refining an existing one, now is the time to ensure it is complete and up to date.

The plan should clearly define team structure, roles, and decision-making authority. Scott Wallace, managing director of the senior living & LTC industry practice at Marsh, underscores the importance of clarity. “This should clearly outline the process for decision making and authority of each individual as well as definitions and an escalation process,” he says.

It should also align with the community’s Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans, which may come into play if an incident results in a network outage. In addition, the plan should address common scenarios such as lost devices, ransomware, compromised systems, email breaches, and identity theft.

The biggest mistake in breach response plans is treating the incident response as an IT issue, which can undermine effectiveness. “If operations and executive leadership are not involved, the plan will fail when it matters most,” explains Puckett. “That is also why validated processes, like those required in SOC 2 Type II environments, tend to produce more executable plans.”

2. Be Prepared with a Response

Scott Wallace, managing director of the senior living & LTC industry practice at Marsh

A strong response plan outlines how the organization will act during an incident. Wallace recommends using the term “incident” instead of “breach,” which can help prevent unnecessary escalation, especially when the situation is still being assessed.

Communities should define how they will triage incidents, gather facts, investigate, and implement containment and recovery measures. Wallace emphasizes the importance of a tailored approach. “This fact-finding process is critical to responding appropriately and tailoring the response to the situation at hand as opposed to taking the one-size-fits-all approach to what are nuanced circumstances,” he says.

3. Plan for Family Communication

Clear and timely communication with residents and families is essential, but it must be handled carefully to avoid misinformation. A predefined communication plan helps ensure consistency and accuracy. The plan should outline internal escalation paths and identify who will be involved, including IT, legal, compliance, leadership, and media teams.

“The communication to residents and families should be clear and concise, with a simple explanation of what happened, what the organization is doing, and what, if anything, they should do at that time, along with a contact point at the organization should there be any questions,” says Clayton. “Then, provide ongoing updates as appropriate.”

Communication should also prioritize clarity and trust. Puckett advises communities to focus on being honest, calm, and clear when communicating with residents and families. “Focus first on whether care or data was impacted, and avoid technical explanations that create confusion,” he says. “Trust is preserved through transparency and consistency.”

4. Follow Regulatory Requirements

Understanding regulatory obligations before an incident occurs is critical. “As senior living communities commonly possess protected health and personal information of residents, regulations such as HIPAA for health data and PCI-DSS for payments and state privacy laws will apply,” says Clayton. “Many states have specific privacy and breach notification laws that need to be consulted.”

5. Review and Test the Cyber Breach Response Plan

Expert input can strengthen a response plan. Wallace recommends consulting third-party advisors such as cybersecurity consultants, insurers, or liability experts when developing and implementing a plan.

Regular reviews are essential, and annual updates should be standard practice. Testing the plan through simulations or exercises can also help identify gaps and improve readiness.

6. Implement Cybersecurity Measures

Preventing a breach is always preferable to responding to one. Strong cybersecurity practices can significantly reduce risk. Puckett recommends implementing multi-factor authentication, continuous security monitoring, and security awareness training for staff. “Those three controls alone would prevent a large percentage of the incidents we see,” he explains.

Clayton also recommends performing a thorough analysis of existing systems. “An organization providing a network and hosting a website should perform regular cyber security assessments of the network and penetration testing of the website,” she says. These proactive measures can help identify vulnerabilities early and protect both residents and staff.

Paige Cerulli

Paige Cerulli is a contributing writer to i Advance Senior Care.