Assessment of the Impact of Cybersecurity Risks on Digital Supply Networks in Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State

Digital supply networks are central to the coordination of procurement, financial transactions, and service delivery in public healthcare institutions such as the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State. The increasing adoption of digital platforms has, however, heightened exposure to cybersecurity risks, which threaten data confidentiality, operational efficiency, and the sustainability of supply systems. This study examined the impact of two prominent cybersecurity risks data breaches and ransomware attacks on the performance of digital supply networks in the hospital. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were gathered from 110 staff members across the Procurement, ICT, and Finance departments using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 3.0 to determine the significance and magnitude of the relationships among variables.

The results revealed that both data breaches and ransomware attacks have a significant negative effect on digital supply network performance, with ransomware attacks exhibiting a stronger adverse influence. Specifically, data breaches were found to disrupt information flow, compromise procurement transparency, and increase operational delays. Ransomware attacks, however, caused more severe interruptions by locking critical procurement platforms, halting transactions, and increasing system recovery costs. These findings indicate that digital supply operations in the hospital remain vulnerable to cybersecurity disruptions.

The study recommends that the hospital strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure through advanced encryption, multi-factor authentication, and continuous network monitoring to minimize vulnerability to unauthorized access. Additionally, the hospital should develop comprehensive ransomware preparedness and recovery strategies, including routine data backups, offline server protection, and staff cybersecurity awareness training to improve resilience and safeguard digital procurement continuity.