South East NHS trust signs three-year deal with healthcare cyber security specialist

By Jo Makosinski | Published: 27-Sep-2023

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust and Cylera partner to protect systems and connected medical devices from cyber attacks

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, one of the largest hospital trusts in North Kent, has signed a new three-year agreement with Cylera to enhance cyber security.

The agreement comes as the NHS remains a key target for malicious activity from cyber criminals around the world focused on national infrastructure systems and on disrupting essential services.

Only recently, two NHS Ambulance trusts, the South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust and the South Central Ambulance Service Trust, reported breaches which affected NHS workers’ access to patient records.  

And, according to reports, attacks on the healthcare sector globally are on the rise, increasing 60% in 2022 compared to the year before.

Over the next few years our digital landscape will continue to develop, with new medical devices and systems coming online and solutions such as Cylera enable the trust to have full visibility into all connected medical devices, IoT, and other systems on the network

Healthcare organisations around the world experience on average 1,426 attacks per week, with an estimated cost of £7.8m per successful breach.  

The Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust is home to over 11,000 connected medical and IoT devices and other equipment used for patient care and building management operations.

Like many healthcare settings across the country that are adopting technology to help improve and streamline services to patients, the trust has more than doubled its connected devices over the last three to four years, up from 5,000 to the current 11,000. 

“Investment in our digital infrastructure is fundamental as we continue our drive to provide better care for patients,” said Gary Hickinson, head of IT at the trust.

“Over the next few years our digital landscape will continue to develop, with new medical devices and systems coming online and solutions such as Cylera enable the trust to have full visibility into all connected medical devices, IoT, and other systems on the network.

Cylera’s mission is to ensure digital environments are secure, patients can receive the care they need, and NHS staff have a safe work environment

“The solution provides full, accurate, and live profiles of each and every device, allowing the team to better manage the maintenance of this equipment, assess any potential risks, and pro-actively work with our suppliers and vendors to ensure any vulnerabilities are mitigated quickly and effectively.”  

Cylera’s patented technologies enable IT teams to view, profile, manage, and risk assess in real-time their entire cyber security landscape and connected environment, including medical devices, other connected IoT devices, and any vulnerabilities, in one centralised dashboard.

Steve Brigden, head of Cylera UK and Ireland, said: “Healthcare settings across the country are investing in new digital strategies as they take strategic steps to streamline services.

“Cylera’s mission is to ensure these digital environments are secure, patients can receive the care they need, and NHS staff have a safe work environment.” 

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