NHS England is planning to develop a platform for assessing and managing the cyber risk in healthcare organisations.
It has indicated that it is preparing to publish a tender document for a cyber risk rating platform, and yesterday ran a market engagement event with potential suppliers on its plans.
It said the platform would enable NHS organisations to better understand their security posture and how to mitigate potential threats that could impact on their operational activities, including the availability and management of patient data.
The move reflects the increasing focus on cyber security in the NHS, as illustrated by a report this week of an incident affecting Wirral University Teaching Hospitals Trust.
In September NHS England announced a plan to adopt the Cyber Assessment Framework as its main mechanism for assuring relevant standards, and in October the Government’s Budget provided £2 billion for technology in the health service with an indication that this should include spending on cyber security.
NHS England also publishes cyber alerts for organisations in the sector.
