Cyber security almost nonexistent in the NHS, study suggests

NHS trusts throughout England have insufficient training programmes to defend workers against online threats, found a freedom of information request.

In a recent study conducted by cloud solutions company Accellion, 71% of all NHS Trusts said that they were aware with regards to tablets or smartphones being used at work. The same number confessed to offering a limited training programme, or none at all, for safeguarding data when these devices are used.

More than two fifths (41%) of the Trusts said that they lean on encryption, server security, or the professionalism of employees in adhering to data security policies.

Further, just 53% of the Trusts claimed to provide a secure, enterprise-grade application to share patient data. This number needs to improve due to the rise in usage of smart technology.

Accellion President and CEO Yorgen Edholm, said:

“With a reported 93% of data breaches caused by human error, the integration of smartphones into the UK health service must be properly managed. Data breaches are continuing at an alarming rate, yet a cyber security mindset is still not ingrained at every level of the NHS Trusts.”

The NHS could find itself a prime target if it is not careful, as cyber criminals don’t tend to be too concerned with who they attack. Whether we’re talking about a body such as the NHS, or an SME in any other sector, it is crucial that they make cyber security jobs to professionals capable of protecting customer data.