We are widely acknowledged as a leading organisation in the prevention and management of cyber security threats.
The impact of cyber-attacks can be devastating. They can directly affect patient safety and disrupt medical procedures, as well as presenting risks to critical information and confidential data. Purchasing systems and the co-ordination of emergency services could also be under threat.
It is well established that the weakest point of cyber security defences is people, with 95 per cent of all security attacks resulting from human error. Therefore, staff training is an important line of defence.
With this in mind, we have developed an end-user cyber security awareness course to increase staff awareness and embed an effective cyber security culture throughout our supply chain and customers.
We are the first NHS organisation to achieve accreditation from Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in this most critical of areas. Our robust, proactive approach to cyber security ensures peace of mind, and our team’s contribution to managing the WannaCry attack in May 2017 was recognised by a Special Commendation Team Award from South Cheshire and Vale Royal CCGs.
Our cyber security team now sit on the NHS National Security Group – the industry-wide voice of expertise for major, scalable incidents. We collaborate with many other NHS organisations to prevent and defend against future attacks.
We believe that prevention is better than cure, so our strategy focuses on reducing the risk of attack. We have a range of measures to help our customers identify, minimize and prevent threats, ensuring that they always stay ahead of the attackers:
