NHS Digital cybersecurity resources have been updated to help support social care organisations to improve security culture in care settings.

The organisation has updated its toolkit designed to enhance staff cybersecurity awareness of critical threats and risks.

Developed in partnership with Digital Social Care, the assets are part of the NHS Keep I.T. Confidential campaign and cover key areas such as phishing, password management, secure data sharing, data protection best practices and the risk of unlocked phone screens.

As well as banners and social media graphics, tools include screensavers and suggested copy for newsletters and bulletins, which will provide simple advice on each topic area.

NHS Digital’s executive director of cyber operations, Mike Fell said: “Good security practices are our shared responsibility and being cyber aware can significantly reduce the chance of cyber events affecting people’s care.

“Taking small, simple steps and considering security in your day-to-day work can make a huge difference and we hope this campaign can really drive that change.”

Improving the cybersecurity of the sector is of acute importance. In the UK, cybersecurity in healthcare is largely run by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited IT resources.

However, the healthcare sector is among those most likely to hold personal data on customers, making it an attractive target for cyber-criminals.

Updates to the NHS Digital cybersecurity resources, first launched in 2019, will help combat some of the challenges faced by the social care sector. NHS Digital said the materials are now relevant across all types of adult social care such as nursing homes and supported living.

Michelle Corrigan, programme director at Better Security, Better Care commented: “Protecting people’s data is really a safeguarding issue as we all store and share more and more information digitally.

“The Keep IT Confidential campaign provides valuable, clear advice for care staff and we encourage everyone to share these messages widely.”

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Demand for stronger cybersecurity has increased over the last few years, particularly during the onset of the pandemic where threat actors used increasingly sophisticated tools to target susceptible victims.

A study by Hiscox from June 2020 revealed a six-fold increase in cybersecurity losses among targeted businesses, increasing from a median $10,000 (£8,051) per firm to $57,000 (£45,892).

This has fuelled a boost in security spending, with UK and European companies doubling cybersecurity spending to combat an increase in cyberattacks in 2020, according to separate Hiscox data.

Its Cyber Readiness Report shows that businesses are allocating more resources to combat the “growing cyber challenge” than ever as the scale of the problem “continues to both change and grow”.

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