Protecting vital NHS systems from cyberattack - Live event

In his first speech as health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock made clear the importance of technology to the NHS. He has pledged almost half a billion pounds to transform health service systems, in an attempt to reduce staff workloads and improve patient care.

Hancock has listed technology as one of his top three initial priorities. It’s not before time. Many respondents to a Guardian survey of NHS workers earlier this year felt IT held them back in their jobs, and half said better systems would help them provide improved patient care.

Hancock pointed out that the challenge finding or inventing technology is relatively small compared with the challenge of embedding and embracing it. Protecting NHS IT is also crucial.

The Guardian is convening a seminar, with support from DXC, to consider cybersecurity across the NHS. The event will bring together health service leaders and influencers to consider how best to protect vital NHSsystems and services.

The seminar will take place from 6pm – 8:30pm on Wednesday 7 November 2018 at the Guardian’s offices at Kings Place, London.

It will begin with a unique view from the Guardian newsroom on how the NHS copied with its biggest cybersecurity attack to date. Technology reporter Alex Hern, who covered the WannaCry story, will talk about how the attack hit the NHS and companies around the world like a bolt from the blue, jumping from network to network and freezing computers worldwide, until it was accidentally stopped in its tracks by a curious security researcher. He will point out that for all the attention devoted to worldwide epidemics, ransomware is still most damaging at the other end of the scale: the small, targeted infections that seize up individual hospitals, businesses and even cities.

The programme

6.00pm – 6.30pm Registration & networking drinks reception

6.30pm - 6.50pm Presentation: How a ransomware attack nearly crippled the NHS. Alex Hern, technology reporter, the Guardian

6.50pm - 7.40pm Panel discussion: What strategies can health leaders implement to automate, without making vital systems more vulnerable?

Chair: Jane Dudman, public leadership editor, the Guardian

Panellists to be confirmed

7.40pm - 7.55pm Audience Q & A

7.55pm – 8pm Chair’s closing remarks

8.00pm – 8.30pm Networking reception

Is this event for you?

The event is aimed at health service leaders and influencers involved with and interested in NHS systems and services.

To apply for a place at this free event, please submit the following details: