Healthcare

Protecting patient data. Securing healthcare systems.

Healthcare organisations hold some of the most sensitive data in existence, and attackers know it. We help health trusts, private hospitals, and healthcare technology providers get their IT under control, build security programmes that survive audit and breach, adopt AI safely within clinical and regulatory constraints, and meet the compliance obligations that follow.

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The Healthcare Threat Landscape

Healthcare is the most targeted sector, and the cost of failure is unlike any other

Patient records are worth more on the dark web than payment card data. Ransomware groups actively target hospitals. Regulators are tightening their requirements.

67%

of healthcare organisations were hit by ransomware in 2025, maintaining a four-year high

Healthcare's combination of sensitive data, critical systems, and aging infrastructure makes it a primary target. Attack rates remain nearly double those seen in 2021 despite growing awareness. (Sophos 2025)

53%

of connected medical devices have known unmitigated vulnerabilities

Infusion pumps, diagnostic scanners, and imaging systems are often unpatched and unmonitored, creating persistent attack surface on clinical networks. (Claroty 2023)

70%

of healthcare data breaches involve internal actors — including staff errors, misconfigured systems, and inappropriate access to records

Healthcare has the highest rate of insider-driven breaches of any sector. Misdelivery of records, accidental cloud sharing, and access without a valid clinical reason are consistently the most common root causes. (Verizon DBIR 2024)

95%

of healthcare organisations attacked by ransomware reported that cybercriminals attempted to compromise their backup systems

Targeting backups is now standard practice in healthcare attacks. When backups are compromised, organisations face a choice between paying the ransom or rebuilding from scratch — with patient care at risk throughout. (Sophos 2024)

Statistics sourced from the Sophos State of Ransomware 2024, Claroty 2023, the ICO Data Security Incident Trends, and Verizon DBIR 2024.

What We Do

IT management, security, and compliance services built around healthcare's unique demands

From getting your IT environment under control to securing patient data, hardening clinical devices, and meeting your compliance obligations, our healthcare consultancy covers the full landscape without disrupting clinical operations.

Patient Data Protection

End-to-end GDPR compliance for patient records. We map your data flows, build consent and retention frameworks for clinical workflows, and put breach response procedures in place. You leave with a functioning RoPA register and documented compliance evidence.

ISO 27001 Compliance

We guide healthcare organisations through the full ISO 27001 journey, from gap analysis and risk assessment, ISMS implementation, policy creation, controls implementation, user training, through to certification body preparation and full audit readiness. You leave with a complete ISMS and the documentation your certification body requires.

NIS2 & Clinical Governance

NIS2 applies to essential healthcare services and carries significant penalties for non-compliance. We map your controls against NIS2 obligations, close the gaps, and produce a regulator-ready evidence pack alongside a prioritised remediation roadmap.

Ransomware Resilience

Healthcare ransomware has shut down clinical systems for weeks at a time. We assess your backup architecture, test your recovery procedures, and produce an incident response playbook built for clinical environments, alongside staff awareness training.

Network and Device Security

Security assessment and hardening of your clinical network, IT infrastructure, and end user devices. We identify exposed endpoints, segment networks to contain risk, enforce device policies across laptops, workstations, and mobile devices, so your IT environment meets the baseline security standards your organisation and regulators require. You get a network report, a device compliance baseline, and a prioritised list of remaining gaps.

IT Infrastructure & Clinical Systems Support

ITIL v4-aligned service desk and managed IT for clinical environments, minimising disruption to EHR/EMR systems and medical devices. We provide structured support processes, documented SLAs, and clear escalation paths to keep IT-related interruption to clinical operations as low as possible. You get an ITIL v4-aligned service desk, documented SLAs, and a managed clinical IT environment built around the uptime demands of your operations.

Third-Party Supplier Risk

Assess the security posture of your technology vendors, cloud providers, and clinical system suppliers before they create exposure you haven't accounted for. We build proportionate supplier assurance programmes that satisfy regulatory requirements and your own board.

AI Adoption in Healthcare

We identify, select, and govern AI tools for clinical documentation, administrative efficiency, and patient communication, ensuring safe deployment within clinical and data protection regulatory guidelines. Strategy and governance led, not software development. You get a governed AI adoption plan, a configured toolset, and a governance framework that satisfies clinical and data protection requirements.

Clinical Audit & Compliance Readiness

We prepare healthcare organisations for CQC inspections, ICO and AP audits, and regulatory assessments, building evidence packs, closing gaps, and ensuring staff are ready before the assessor arrives. You leave with a clean evidence package and a team prepared for every stage of the process.

Why Cyvra

Healthcare security that understands clinical reality

Healthcare security must keep care delivery flowing without compromising patient safety or data. We've worked inside NHS trusts, private hospitals, and healthcare organisations. We understand how these environments operate, how the systems interact, how data flows, and how to secure it all. Every framework we design fits your business and the clinical reality, not a generic security template.

Experienced with multiple areas of healthcare and relevant governance frameworks

Consultants with healthcare sector experience and certifications spanning PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and CISSP.

Understand the balance between security controls and uninterrupted clinical access

Proven track record with health trusts, hospitals, and private healthcare providers in Europe

End-to-end service, from initial risk assessment through to certification and audit

Insights for healthcare

Healthcare

Using AI in your healthcare organisation without creating GDPR exposure

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Compliance

NIS2 is in force: what your organisation needs to have in place now

Read article →

Guide

GDPR compliance for businesses in the EU: what you actually need to have in place

Read article →

Incident response

Ransomware: what to do before, during and after an attack

Read article →

Guide

ISO 27001: building IT security management for small and medium businesses

Read article →

Frequently asked questions

Cybersecurity and compliance in healthcare

Is the Data Security and Protection Toolkit mandatory for us?

Any organisation that accesses NHS patient data or NHS systems is expected to complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) annually. It's a self-assessment against a set of national data security standards, but a failed or incomplete submission can affect NHS contracts and data-sharing agreements. We map your controls against the DSPT standards and close the gaps before your submission window.

What does the CQC actually check on data security during an inspection?

CQC inspections look at whether access to patient records is controlled and logged, whether staff are trained on data handling, whether there's a tested incident response process, and whether previous DSPT or audit findings have been acted on. Inspectors respond better to documented evidence than to verbal assurance. We build the evidence pack and prepare staff for what an assessor will ask.

What does GDPR require specifically for patient records?

Patient records are special category data under UK GDPR, which means a stricter lawful basis, tighter access controls, and a mandatory breach notification to the ICO within 72 hours in most cases involving medical data. We review your record of processing activities, DPIAs, and technical controls against these heightened requirements.

How do we secure medical devices and legacy equipment safely?

Medical devices and clinical IoT often run outdated operating systems that can no longer be patched and can't simply be replaced. The practical fix is network segmentation: isolating critical clinical equipment from the office network and the internet, with strict control over what traffic is allowed to and from it. We map your device estate and design segmentation that doesn't disrupt clinical continuity.

How long does an ISO 27001 or DSPT readiness project take for a healthcare organisation?

A gap analysis against DSPT and ISO 27001 with a prioritised remediation plan typically takes 4 to 8 weeks to deliver. A full ISO 27001 certification project usually takes 6 to 12 months for most healthcare organisations, depending on size and the number of sites. The two overlap significantly, so running them together saves time.

Get Started

Secure your healthcare systems and patient data

Tell us about your business, what concerns or gaps you may have, breach response, or building from scratch. We'll scope what you need.

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