Protecting a nation’s health through robust cyber security

Data can save lives.

This is not the opinion of a company in the data business, but the view of NHS England. Data from patient health and adult social care records helps improve individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan local services and research new treatments.

NHS England is responsible for overseeing the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the National Health Service in England. Their systems must be digital and interoperable. Data must flow seamlessly and securely between different IT systems and across health and care settings.

This seamless interaction needs to take place in an increasingly mobile world.

Security in a mobile world

Mobility is central to the way NHS England works: almost all its 7,500 staff work from mobile devices. Staff can check emails, share reports and key documentation internally and with other health bodies, set up a video call, access their staff records, or submit expenses from their mobile devices.

But mobility is nothing without security. With highly sensitive patient and financial data, NHS England needs to be locked-tight with the way they manage data.

Real-time threat intelligence

Check Point is at the heart of the new approach to mobile security. Check Point SandBlast Mobile protects NHS England mobile users from malware, network and phishing attacks, OS exploits and malicious apps. The cloud-based dashboard provides real-time threat intelligence and visibility into the type of threats that could impact the organization.

SandBlast Mobile’s native integration with mobile management tools enhances the visibility and management of the organization’s risk posture of mobile devices.

NHS England uses SandBlast Mobile to defend against sophisticated cyber-attacks on top of IBM MaaS360 Mobile Device Management providing control of hardware, security compliance and location information.

The solution safeguards mobile workers’ devices for NHS England. It enables NHS England to manage mobile devices for 6,800 users, with secure access to a constantly changing menu of workplace productivity applications. SandBlast Mobile helps NHS England achieve compliance with the UK’s Data Protection Act, 2018, bringing it in line with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Mobile users are now warned if they attempt an unsecured connection. Moreover, Check Point SandBlast Mobile provides greater clarity on the threats facing the organization. NHS England’s IT team now has direct access to dashboards, it is easier to generate and share monthly reports, and there are regular sessions with Check Point to understand new threats.

The engagement with Check Point raises security expertise in-house and provides assurance that mobile working is managed correctly. It also enables NHS England to demonstrate security best practice to others in the healthcare community. NHS England supports some of the most innovative and pioneering projects in the NHS, including NHSX, the department responsible for the digital transformation of UK healthcare.