One of the largest hospital trusts in North Kent has signed up for three years of IT systems and data protection from Cylera.
With the number of connected medical and IoT devices doubling to 11,000 in recent years the Trust sees this investment as fundamental to its drive to provide better care for patients and a key part of Dartford and Gravesham’s overall and continuous cyber investment strategy.
The body’s head of IT, Gary Hickinson, said: “Over the next few years our digital landscape will continue to develop, with new medical devices and systems coming online. Solutions like this enable the trust to have full visibility into all connected medical devices, IoT (internet of things) and other systems on the network.”
Hickinson added that Cylera’s solution helps by providing full, accurate, and live profiles of every Dartford and Gravesham medical device.
That means the team can better manage the maintenance and head off risk to connected IT and medical equipment.
The move will also allow him to “proactively work with our suppliers and vendors to ensure any vulnerabilities are mitigated quickly and effectively”, he added.
Hickinson concluded: “As our hospital environments become more connected, it’s vital that we have in place the best systems to help protect what matters most — our patients and staff.”
The trust has been working closely with the supplier since 2021, awarding this contract after researching the market and speaking with multiple suppliers but still finding that its software identified 15% more vulnerabilities than competitor products.
