Application deadline: 10 November 2026
This lecture equips you with a security mindset for healthcare technologies.
You will discuss social/ethical implications and deployment strategies when architecting open-source solutions and robust systems with advanced security strategies in healthcare.
Details
Course Content
This intensive lecture equips you with the security mindset needed for modern health and social care technologies – before a single line of code is written. You will learn why today’s most critical failures happen early in design, and how a Shift Left philosophy combined with the Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) can prevent harm, reduce costs, and protect patient trust. Across the day, we explore real-world security challenges in health tech, from defining security requirements and threat modeling clinical data, to managing open source, supply chains, and AI generated code.
A key focus is Human–AI collaboration: we will explore the risks of AI-generated code (hallucinations, insecure patterns) and discuss how to ensure an AI agent doesn’t introduce “black box” vulnerabilities into a health platform. Further, the use of AI agents to monitor deployment pipelines and detect anomalies in real-time, as well as the move from manual approvals to AI-assisted compliance checking will be addressed. The lecture concludes with a forward-looking perspective on the future of secure, AI enabled health technologies, drawing on current research into autonomous yet human governed SSDLCs, and a clear assignment briefing.
Ideal for students who want to:
- Understand security as a socio technical responsibility, not just a technical one
- Work at the intersection of healthcare, AI, ethics, and cybersecurity
- Build skills that are highly relevant for digital health, medtech, and regulated environments
By the end, you won’t just know how to build secure systems, you’ll understand why security decisions matter for real people and real lives.
Course Times
24 November 2026, 13:50-17:05 (CET)
25 November 2026, 13:50-17:05 (CET)
Tutors
Heikki Järvinen
Study Programme
Citizen-Centered Digital Health and Social Care
ECTS
0.5 (check “Recognition of ECTS” section for more information)
Contact hours
6
European Qualifications Framework (EQF)
Master level (EQF7); Bachelor level (EQF6); PhD level (EQF8)
Prerequisites
Either previous engagement in digital health or social care, or in IT security / Cybersecurity
Further information
Recognition of ECTS
Please note that the recognition of the ECTS provided through this activity on your Transcript of Records depends on the decision of the responsible E³UDRES² coordinators or academic authority of your study programme at your home institution. We strongly recommend contacting them before starting an activity that awards ECTS in order to avoid any unexpected difficulties later on.
Depending on their decision, one of the following scenarios may apply:
- Your credits are recognised and can replace another course within your regular study programme.
- Your credits are recognised and can be included in the elective or free-choice space of your study programme (if applicable).
- Your credits are recognised as extra-curricular, meaning they cannot replace another course or be included in the elective or free-choice space of your programme (if applicable).
When contacting the responsible E³UDRES² coordinators at your home institution, please ensure you provide all relevant information about the E³UDRES² activity so they can properly evaluate your request.
Teaching Methods
Lecture with presentations and discussion
Learning Outcomes
Students understand the designs, deployment, and optimisation of health-focused applications on cloud platforms, implementing advanced security and performance strategies.
Assessment
Written reflection on social/ethical implications and deployment strategies when architecting open-source solutions and robust systems with advanced security strategies to meet health and social care needs.
Literature & Materials
Eghbal, N. (2020). Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software. Stripe Press.
Please note
Please be aware of the course timezone provided in the course description. Converting the course times to your timezone may be necessary to ensure your availability.
