Healthcare Digital February 2022 | Page 25

HOSPITALS

DEFENDING THE NHS FROM

IN 2022

2022 presents many challenges for healthcare – from quashing obesity to dualling with the pandemic – cyber security is another battle
WRITTEN BY : HELEN ADAMS
Sean Tickle , Head of CyberGuard
Technologies

It ’ s no exaggeration that protecting healthcare organisations from cyberattacks can be a matter of life and death . Sean Tickle , Head of CyberGuard Technologies , knows the extent of the challenge and what can be done to protect precious systems and data .

The WannaCry global ransomware attack , which affected 80 hospital trusts and 595 GP practices across England , was arguably the first major wake-up call to healthcare providers .
Although not specifically aimed at the NHS , it resulted in the cancellation of thousands of operations and appointments , reducing staff to using pen and paper or their own mobiles and laptops .
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