Core to Cloud Appoints New CTO, Phil Howe

6 May 2021

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Core to Cloud, an innovative cybersecurity solutions provider that enables secure digital business in a world of growing threats, announced the recent appointment of Phil Howe as Chief Technology Officer.

Phil Howe joined the business to drive forward several new technology initiatives, working closely with customers to ensure that their needs are met, but more importantly that they stay one step ahead of the cyber-criminals. Particularly in the current post-pandemic environment, where there has been a significant reported increase in cyberattacks, it is now more important than ever that organisations have the right cybersecurity strategies and solutions in place.

With in-depth industry experience and a strong focus on healthcare, education, compliance, and security, Core to Cloud creates bespoke solutions that effectively help organisations with visibility, validation, governance, compliance and response to cyber threats.

Innovative solutions

Core to Cloud was an integral part of our team and really hit the mark, bringing innovative solutions to us"

Along with its extensive work within the public sector, its unique, consultative approach has positioned the firm as one of the most trusted cybersecurity specialists out there. In the last couple of years, Core to Cloud has quickly gained a reputation for bringing highly disruptive security technologies to market and this was one of the key reasons why Phil took on the new role.

Phil Howe, CTO, Core to Cloud comments: “The tech Core to Cloud has in its product stack is best of breed and very innovative. I have worked with Core to Cloud for the past five years and have been a customer when I was deputy CTO at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. At the Trust, we had a small IT security team and I needed a partner who could work alongside my team, who really understood my needs, who I trusted, who listened and came back with solid recommendations to help overcome some of the challenges we were facing.”

“Core to Cloud was an integral part of our team and really hit the mark, bringing innovative solutions to us that were really fit for purpose. They helped us build out the security for the organisation and I was so impressed with the company culture and ethos, not to mention its growth ambitions, that I decided this was the right place for my next career move and I’m really excited about the opportunity.”

Lack of time and resources

Phil Howe is a highly experienced senior IT manager with hands-on knowledge of developing new technologies"

James Cunningham, Founder and Director, Core to Cloud adds: “We are delighted that Phil has joined us. We work with a lot of NHS Trusts and it is great to have someone on the ground, in our team, who can really relate to the challenges that some of these Trusts are grappling with. Most have relatively small teams, a lack of time and resources, and are being hit daily with requests while also trying to defend against the bad guys, so it is great that Phil can immediately relate to this and has the experience to help remediate.”

“Having spent over 18 years working in the NHS, Phil Howe is a highly experienced, multi-skilled senior IT manager with hands-on knowledge of developing new technologies within large and critical IT infrastructures.”

Prior to joining Core to Cloud he was Deputy Chief Technology Officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. Here he led the third line and projects team, focusing on technical strategy and programme management as well as developing, funding and delivering key IT projects and systems to support IT security and the delivery of patient care within a large and complex organisation.

Emerging technologies

He joined the Trust in 2008 and worked for over a decade in several senior technical roles before being promoted to Deputy Chief Technology Officer. Prior to joining Bolton NHS, Phil Howe was a senior IT specialist for Ehealth at NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Cylera reduces security risk and provides key information for segmentation, and for IT and DSPT returns as well

A Prince2 practitioner, Phil Howe also has extensive experience working in the private sector and spent more than four years at Northgate Information Solutions as a senior technical project specialist and engineer. Now, as part of the Core to Cloud team, he will help the business grow and move to the next stage in its rapid development.

Looking forward, Core to Cloud is committed to delivering best of breed solutions for its clients and, even in the last six months, has brought several new and emerging technologies to market that exactly meet client requirements. One specific technology that NHS Trusts have identified a gap in is security for their IoT medical devices. A number of Trusts reached out to Core to Cloud, who had just partnered with Cylera, who provide a complete asset list of all connected devices.

Granular device information

Phil Howe adds, “We had multiple customers asking us for an IoT solution that would provide a complete asset list of all their connected devices and provide a clientless way to secure medical devices as well as highlight their vulnerabilities, show granular device information and utilisation as well as provide the information needed for segmentation. We researched and tested the market and found the best fit was the new Cylera solution, which is custom built for hospitals and provides rich information for IT, IG and Medical Engineering.”

There are clear use cases for Cylera. The product ensures providers regularly patch their devices, (the large majority will not allow client installs to monitor this). It also provides rich device information to assist around device life and replacement, allowing Trusts to plan this into their capital programmes. And finally, Cylera reduces security risk and provides key information for segmentation, and for IT and DSPT returns as well.

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