Cyber Security & Data Protection

Healthcare

Cyber Security & Data Protection

Specialised cyber security solutions to protect sensitive patient data, secure clinical systems, and ensure your medical practice remains resilient.

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Protecting the digital heart of your practice

In the modern healthcare environment, your data is as critical as your clinical equipment. As GP practices and private clinics move towards total digital transformation, they become primary targets for sophisticated cyber-criminals. A breach is not merely a technical failure; it is a threat to patient safety, a risk to your professional reputation, and a potential source of massive GDPR fines.

At Armstrong Watson, we understand that healthcare providers hold the most sensitive data imaginable. Our cyber security solutions are specifically designed for the medical sector, focusing on protecting patient records, securing central payment systems, and ensuring your practice remains operational in the face of a digital attack.

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The rising threat of ransomware in Healthcare

Healthcare is currently the most targeted sector for ransomware attacks globally. Criminals understand that a GP practice or private clinic cannot afford down-time.

Vulnerability Assessments

We don't just look at your firewalls; we conduct deep-dive assessments of your entire digital estate, including remote access points used by partners and staff working from home.

Securing Clinical Systems

We review the security protocols surrounding your Management Information Systems (e.g., EMIS, SystmOne) to ensure that patient data remains encrypted and accessible only to authorised personnel.

CEO Fraud & Payment Interception

We help your finance team implement robust controls to prevent "social engineering" attacks, where scammers impersonate partners or suppliers to divert practice funds.

GDPR & safeguarding data integrity

Compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR is a board-level responsibility for GP Partners.

Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA)

We assist you in conducting DPIAs when implementing new technology or changing how you handle patient data.

Safeguarding Information

We focus on the security of highly sensitive safeguarding records, ensuring they are stored with the highest levels of encryption and are audit-trail protected.

Third-Party Risk

Many breaches occur through the "supply chain." We help you assess the cyber-credentials of your third-party software providers and medical secretarial services.

Incident response: preparation is key

If your practice were to be hit by a cyber-attack tomorrow, would you know what to do? The first 24 hours are critical. We help you draft and test cyber incident response plans that outline exactly how to contain a breach, who to notify (including the ICO and NHS Digital), and how to restore your systems from secure, offline backups.

Staff awareness: the human firewall

Over 90% of cyber-attacks begin with a human error, such as clicking a phishing link. We provide non-technical, healthcare-focused training for your clinicians, administrative staff, and management teams. By turning your staff into a "human firewall", you drastically reduce the risk of an accidental breach.

Frequently asked questions

Strategic cyber security advice to help medical practices identify local vulnerabilities, strengthen remote access protocols, and ensure robust protection alongside central NHS infrastructure.

While the central NHS network has robust protections, the "endpoints"—your specific practice PCs, tablets, and remote laptops—are often your responsibility. We work alongside your existing IT providers to provide a secondary layer of independent security assurance.

Often, it is the lack of "Multi-Factor Authentication" (MFA) on email and remote login systems. Implementing MFA is one of the simplest and most effective ways to stop unauthorised access.