Extra £21m pledged to boost cyber security across NHS
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- Published: Tuesday, 18 July 2017 07:51
- Written by News Editor
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The Government is pledging an extra £21 million for cyber security across the NHS in the wake of the WannaCry ransomware attack. Ministers have said NHS Digital will broadcast alerts about cyber threats to hospitals, provide a hotline for dealing with incidents and also carry out on-site assessments to check security.
Work is also under way to establish a fast and cost-effective way for the NHS to completely move away from unsupported operating systems, including Windows XP, which was the focus of much criticism following the attack in May. The Department of Health said use of Windows XP has fallen in the past 18 months from 18% to 4.7%. The £21 million will help boost security at major trauma sites, of which there are 27 across England.
The pledges form the Government’s response to a report last July from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and National Data Guardian, Dame Fiona Caldicott. The CQC and Dame Fiona wrote to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt several months before WannaCry happened, warning that an “external cyber threat is becoming a bigger consideration” within the NHS.
Their data security review of 60 hospitals, GP surgeries and dental practices found there was a “lack of understanding of security issues”. It warned that patient data breaches were often caused by hurried staff working “with ineffective processes and technology”.
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