The UK public is not confident about NHS cybersecurity at all

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More needs to be done to shore up NHS defences

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Image credit: Shutterstock (Image credit: Shutterstock)

The UK public has little faith in the cybersecurity of the NHS, with many fearing that the healthcare provider could move to sell their data.

Research from NHS England shows that four out of five patients believe that NHS systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks, with almost half (49%) strongly believing that the NHS could make mistakes in the handling of their data.

Half of respondents believe in some capacity that the NHS could sell their data to third-parties without their permission, with 18% strongly agreeing, and a further 32% agreeing slightly.

NHS cybersecurity makes the UK WannaCry

NHS England is responsible for running the IT systems that span the breadth and width of the UK, and maintains the databases used for storing and sharing patient data. The survey found that 83% of people trust the NHS to keep their patient data secure, with many of them also happy for their data to be used by the NHS, and shared with partnered companies, to improve patient care for themselves and others.

The skepticism arises when patients are faced with the prospect of their data being stolen or used incorrectly, with those concerned about cyber attacks against NHS IT systems standing at 47% slightly agreeing, and 35% strongly agreeing.

There isn't any suggestion as to why public faith in the security of NHS IT systems is so low, but it could be due to how quickly and easily computers and diagnostic devices were infected with the WannaCry ransomware during the 2017 attack, or it could be the recent spate of ransomware attacks against healthcare providers around the world that are putting people on edge.

As part of the part of a plan to reduce the treatment backlog caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS England has been looking to create a Federated Data Platform (FDP) which would act as a cloud-based patient and health data storage solution, allowing NHS trusts to quickly and easily gain access to patient data.

In the survey conclusion, NHS England said that their data strategy “set out ambitious plans to harness the potential of data in health and care in England, while maintaining the highest standards of privacy and ethics. Improving trust in the health and care system’s use of data is at the core of the strategy. Our vision is that the public have confidence in how their data will be handled, and are happy for their data to be used to improve the care that they and others receive.”

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Staff Writer (Security)

Benedict has been writing about security issues for over 7 years, first focusing on geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division),  then continuing his studies at a postgraduate level, achieving a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, Benedict transitioned his focus towards cybersecurity, exploring state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.