Cyber resilience in healthcare is now a high priority, following the WannaCry attack in 2017 and the vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic. Cyber Security in Healthcare 2021 will shed light on some of the current cyber issues facing the NHS and how best to solve them
The NHS is made up of more than 8,000 organisations, with many more across the wider health and care sector. The sheer size and scale of the sector makes maintaining robust cyber security a challenge, which is only further exacerbated once you consider the complexities and sensitivity of the data involved.
There has been a surge of new digital technologies being used in healthcare in the last few years and ever-larger quantities of data are being generated. This provides opportunities to improve health and care services, but it also presents enormous risks in protecting data and maintaining safety, privacy, and trust of patients.
In 2017 the WannaCry global cyber attack affected over 200,000 computers in 150 countries. While not specifically targeted at the UK, the attack compromised IT across the NHS and demonstrated its vulnerability to this type of threat. It brought hospitals and GP surgeries across England and Scotland to a standstill for several days, costing the UK an estimated £92 million.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a significant increase in cyber criminals targeting healthcare organisations with scams and phishing emails over the past 15 months. The impact of lockdowns forcing healthcare staff to work from home demonstrated that many organisations were not adequately prepared for the enforcement of this digital revolution. This meant they were, and some continue to be, vulnerable to a wide range of cyber threats. Since the outbreak began, a variety of complex and coordinated cyber attacks have targeted healthcare providers across the world.
Cyber Security in Healthcare 2021
Cyber resilience in healthcare is now a high priority and organisations are being encouraged to take a proactive rather than reactive approach to securing networks, devices and data.
The Institute of Government & Public Policy will be hosting the Cyber Security in Healthcare 2021 virtual conference on 23 September. This timely event will bring together heads, directors, senior managers and chiefs of information security, technology, cyber security, data protection, digital and security strategy from private healthcare, medical device manufacturers, NHS, and the voluntary sector to discuss pertinent issues facing the sector today.
This event will provide valuable insight into what steps organisations across the healthcare supply chain are taking to improve cyber security.
It will detail the latest resources and support that is available from government and NHS agencies to support their initiatives and help to mitigate the risks of increased data and technology use in the NHS. Best practice examples of innovative cyber security projects will be also detailed through case study presentations.
The event will be chaired by Dr Ameer Al-Nemrat, Senior Lecturer & Programme Leader, Information Security & Computer Forensics, University of East London. Delegates will learn from senior representatives from across the NHS and wider healthcare sector, who will share their own insights, learning, resources, and guidance.
Stuart Hosking-Durn, Head of Resilience and Patient Flow at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, will speak at the event. Stuart will present a case study on lessons learned from the WannaCry cyber-attack, and how the Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust prepared to respond.
Dr Saira Ghafur, Lead for Digital Health, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, will deliver a keynote address on Improving cyber security in the NHS to maintain the privacy, safety and trust of patients.
Adam Nickerson, ICT Digital Lead, NHS Shared Business Services, will present a case study entitled Launching A Cyber Security Framework To Help the NHS Manage Cyber Risks And Recover In The Event Of A Cyber Security Incident.
Networking and learning
Through the learning opportunities and sharing of best practice, attendees will be able to implement improvements in the workplace. We will identify and assess the key factors that make the health and care sector particularly vulnerable to being targeted by hackers. Attendees will also find out how to effectively increase cyber security awareness and embed cyber security into quality systems and organisational culture.
Cyber Security in Healthcare 2021 will provide an opportunity for delegates to network and engage in question and answer sessions with speakers throughout the day. The virtual coffee lounge is a great way to connect with other attendees and continue the discussion between the live sessions.
Sponsors of the event include Bitdefender, Osirium, Synopsys, One Identity by Quest, SOC.OS, Cybereason, Threatlocker, Securonix, and Zoho Corp. The virtual conference exhibition will provide an opportunity to connect with representatives from the event partners, understanding what they can offer and how they are supporting the NHS and wider healthcare industry to tackle cyber security challenges.
Meet other like-minded professionals beneficial to your network, and form part of the conversation and debate that will impact the wider agenda for future planning.
Find out more about the event and secure your place with a Health Business member discount using the code HBCYBER20 at the checkout.
