Following the news that NHS Digital is investing in a central cybersecurity unit with a team of ethical hackers. IT security experts commented below.
Rob Bolton, Director and GM, Western Europe at Infoblox:
“Our recent research found that 1 in 4 UK healthcare IT professionals do not feel confident in their organisation’s ability to defend against a cyberattack after the devastation caused by WannaCry, therefore the news that NHS Digital is investing in a devoted cybersecurity unit is incredibly welcome.
The healthcare industry is currently facing major challenges that require it to modernise, reform and improve services to meet the needs of ever more complex, instantaneous patient demands as well as regulatory requirements. Having a devoted team of ethical hackers will enable the NHS to identify, respond to, and remediate active threats much more effectively. This will allow the NHS to continue with its digital transformation with a renewed sense of confidence.”
Matt Lock, Director of Sales Engineers at Varonis:
“The announcement by the NHS to establish and fund a security operations ‘nerve centre’ is necessary and commendable next step. But given the impact of the WannaCry attack, one must also ask why it has taken them so long to create an SOC. The new centre must be a part of an ongoing effort to keep up with the latest attacks from extremely well-funded and experienced criminals intent on compromising the NHS system.
The NHS must be able to attract and retain top talent, which is often a challenge for public organisations. An SOC is an important piece of the overall security posture for large organizations, but continuous improvement and advancements are critical parts of the equation.”
