September 8, 2016
NHS Digital is to begin expanding its Care Computer Emergency Response Team (CareCERT) cyber security service as a means to improve the resilience of systems used in both health and social care provision.
Speaking at the second day of the Health and Care Innovation Expo in Manchester, innovation minister Nicola Blackwood said that testing will commence this month on new functions to help care organisations with better defending themselves against potential digital threats.
These services will include the provision of an e-learning portal, called CareCERT React, which is designed to train staff in cyber security basics to help secure patient information . An assurance function for local organisations to test how their operations meet key security standards and outline how better to reduce service vulnerabilities will also be offered.
The other new addition, called CareCERT React, offers professional guidance and advice around reducing the impacts of data security incidents on health and social care providers to recover security effectively when compromised.
CareCERT was established last year by NHS Digital, known at the time as The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), to provide guidance around ensuring compliance with cyber security standards in systems supporting care providers. It has been funded through the Cabinet Office National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP).