FEATURE : SOFTWARE
Minimising the third-party cyberthreat in healthcare
The cyberattack that affected the NHS 111 service highlighted the importance of incorporating resilience into an organisation ’ s security approach , particularly as the attack came about as a result of a software loophole . Dominic Trott , UK Head of Strategy at Orange Cyberdefense , analyses this attack and offers advice on cybersecurity for healthcare enterprises .
The NHS always faces immense strain in the run-up to winter , but this year looks to be particularly challenging . The number of people on the waiting list for hospital treatment grew by more than 100,000 to 6.73 million in June 2022 , with 4,000 waiting for two years and a shocking 355,774 waiting over one year . What ’ s more , with energy bills rising , alongside concerns about the cost-of-living crisis , predictions state that the health service will be under even more pressure this year as people may be reluctant to properly heat their homes . The NHS has also been tasked with conducting another vaccine rollout , as a new jab jointly targeting the original COVID-19 strain and Omicron has now been approved . Given these multiple challenges , it is vital that the health service does all it can to provide the best service possible during this challenging period .
It ’ s therefore worrying that the NHS 111 service was impacted by a cyberattack that targeted the third-party software it uses to refer patients for care , dispatch ambulances , book out-ofhours appointments and distribute emergency prescriptions . While the service assured patients that the disruption was minimal , it has since been communicated that it will likely take a month for its operations to begin running at full capacity again . Considering the wakeup call that the WannaCry ransomware attack gave the healthcare service in 2017 , it ’ s shocking that an attack of this nature was able to penetrate its defences .
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