NHS and social care organisations are being invited to take advantage of new cyber security resources designed to raise awareness of the threat of ransomware.
The new information packs have been made available on the NHS Digital website as part of the existing Keep I.T. Confidential online cyber security awareness toolkit.
Two sets of campaign materials have been published; one aimed at staff based in clinical settings and another for those who work in the adult social care sector.
Launched by NHS Digital’s Data Security Centre, the free materials have been designed to help NHS organisations run their own cyber security awareness campaigns at a time and in a way that suits them.
The aim is to help improve staff knowledge of cyber security concerns such as phishing, unauthorised data sharing, unlocked screens and weak passwords.
Earlier this month, the health and social care sector was revealed as the ninth least cyber-secure in the UK, with more than 7,000 data breaches in the past year.*
Assets included in the toolkit are:
- Screensavers
- Digital banners
- Sticky notes
- Social media graphics - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn
- An animation
NHS Digital’s Executive Director of Cyber Operations Mike Fell says: “Good security practices are our shared responsibility and being cyber aware can significantly reduce the chance of cyber events affecting people’s care.
“We know how busy staff are, but we encourage everyone to prioritise reducing security risks as much as they can to protect the NHS and social care against vulnerabilities.
“Taking small, simple steps and considering security in your day-to-day work can make a huge difference and we hope that these resources can really play a part in helping to drive that change.”
Ransomware is a form of malicious software that can make data or systems unusable until the victim makes a payment.
Reduce the risk of common cyber security concerns by:
- Choosing a strong and varied password
- Being aware of potential phishing scams
- Wearing your staff ID badge on-site.
* Data from the 2022 Cyber Security Breaches Survey
