Cylera - Experts & Thought Leaders

Cylera, a pioneer in healthcare IoT intelligence and security, has signed a new three-year agreement with Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, one of the largest hospital trusts in North Kent, serving a local population of half a million people. The agreement comes as the NHS remains a key target for malicious activity from cybercriminals around the world focused on national infrastructure systems and on disrupting essential services. Only recently, two NHS Ambulance Trusts, the South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust, and the South Central Ambulance Service Trust, reported breaches that affected NHS workers’ access to patient records.  Healthcare sector attacks According to reports, attacks on the healthcare sector globally are on the rise, increasing 60% in 2022 compared to the year before. Healthcare organisations around the world experience on average 1,426 attacks per week, with an estimated cost of £7.8m per successful breach.  Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust The trust has more than doubled its connected devices over the last three to four years The Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust is home to over 11,000 connected medical and IoT devices and other equipment used for patient care and building management operations. Like many healthcare settings across the country that are adopting technology to help improve and streamline services to patients, the trust has more than doubled its connected devices over the last three to four years, up from 5,000 to the current 11,000.  Continuous cyber investment strategy “Investment in our digital infrastructure is fundamental as we continue our drive to provide better care for patients,” said Gary Hickinson, Head of IT at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust. “Our agreement with Cylera is a key part of our overall continuous cyber investment strategy.” Complete visibility The solution provides full, accurate, and live profiles of every device, allowing the team to better manage" Hickinson continued, “Over the next few years our digital landscape will continue to develop, with new medical devices and systems coming online. Solutions such as Cylera enable the trust to have full visibility into all connected medical devices, IoT, and other systems on the network." "The solution provides full, accurate, and live profiles of every device, allowing the team to better manage the maintenance of this equipment, assess any potential risks, and proactively work with our suppliers and vendors to ensure any vulnerabilities are mitigated quickly and effectively.”  Real-time cyber assessment Cylera’s patented technologies enable IT teams to view, profile, manage, and risk assess in real-time their entire cybersecurity landscape and connected environment, including medical devices, other connected IoT devices, and any vulnerabilities, in one centralised dashboard. Users can get a true, high-fidelity asset inventory of all devices connected to the network. Hickinson added, “We have been working closely with Cylera since 2021. After researching the market and speaking with multiple suppliers, Cylera was the obvious choice." Identifying digital vulnerabilities Cylera’s team of experts also understands our digital estate and how we are building for the future" "Their solution identified the most vulnerabilities, around 15% more than competitor products. Cylera’s team of experts also understands our digital estate and how we are building for the future and are always on hand when we need them." "As our hospital environments become more connected, it’s vital that we have in place the best systems to help protect what matters most our patients and staff.” Digital strategies Steve Brigden, Head of Cylera UK & Ireland, said, “It’s a pleasure to continue our relationship with Gary and the team at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust." "Healthcare settings across the country are investing in new digital strategies as they take strategic steps to streamline services. Cylera’s mission is to ensure these digital environments are secure, patients can receive the care they need, and NHS staff have a safe work environment.” 

Cylera, a pioneer in healthcare IoT cybersecurity and intelligence solutions, has partnered with Oman’s first and largest integrated telecommunications services provider, Omantel. Omantel plays a significant role in the development and digital transformation of Oman. It contributes to the country's economic growth by facilitating communication, connectivity, and digital services for businesses, individuals, retail, and government entities. Omantel's services are crucial for Oman's social and economic progress. Digitalisation of healthcare Omantel and Cylera will deliver advanced solutions designed specifically to support the healthcare The partnership will further cement Cylera’s position in the Middle East and increase its global market reach, following the successful rollouts of its cybersecurity and asset management platform, and its patented technologies in the UK, U.S., and Europe.  Together, Omantel and Cylera will deliver advanced solutions designed specifically to support the rapid digitalisation of healthcare in Oman, a region that will see 11 new hospitals built and upgraded over the next two years.  Better management and visibility of devices Global healthcare’s critical infrastructure is digitalising at pace as demand grows for better patient care and services. In 2020 it was estimated that 646 million new and legacy devices worldwide were connected to hospital networks, with tens of thousands more added each year. This uptake in IoT and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is contributing to the complexity of hospitals’ digital estates and expanding their online attack surface, driving the need for better management and visibility of devices on the network to reduce cybersecurity risk and streamline patient care. Cybersecurity technologies Timur Ozekcin, CEO and Co-Founder of Cylera said: “The increased global usage of IoT and IoMT in healthcare settings is critical to helping improve patient care and safety. However, with these organisations being a continued focus for cybercrime, hospitals must be able to view and map their entire connected landscape including their unmanaged and unknown devices, to efficiently assess risk while also being able to deliver the best in service.”  Cylera’s pioneering healthcare cybersecurity technologies bring pioneering solutions Cylera’s platform provides a centralised dashboard for IT teams to view, profile, manage and risk assess their entire connected environment in one platform. Its partnership with Omantel will combine the telecommunication giant’s best-in-class data analysis capabilities and innovative approach to digital transformation with Cylera’s pioneering healthcare cybersecurity technologies to bring world-pioneering enterprise management solutions for complex connected environments. Cylera’s ground-breaking technologies Aladdin Bait Fadhil, Chief Commercial Officer at Omantel said: “This is a partnership which will greatly enhance the cybersecurity of growing connected environments and continue to enable the rapid digitalisation occurring in Oman, positioning the country as a world-leader in healthcare. Adding Cylera’s ground-breaking technologies to our existing class-pioneering product portfolio will further strengthen our offering in Oman’s medical space, delivering the most advanced digital healthcare solutions to the region.”  Timur added: “Cylera is honoured to be working closely with Omantel. With the continued investment in critical infrastructure in the region, Oman is an exciting market for Cylera to be operating in and is playing a pivotal role in our ambitious global expansion plans.”

Healthcare IoT and medical device cybersecurity specialist, Cylera, has formed its first Advisory Council bringing together World leaders in cybersecurity to share insight and drive innovation to help tackle the myriad of security challenges facing today’s rapidly digitalising healthcare sector.   As a critical infrastructure, healthcare remains a top target for cybercriminals with access to rich patient data and a potential to cause significant damage and disruption to patient care. This threat is ever greater with rising geopolitical tensions and potential state-sponsored attacks. Rising geopolitical tensions 81% of UK healthcare organisations experienced a ransomware attack last year with patient in-person appointments having to be cancelled as a result, for two-thirds of these organisations. Sixty-five percent admitted that a cyber-attack could increase patient mortality rates. The average cost of a data breach in the global healthcare sector amounted to $10 million USD The average cost of a data breach in the global healthcare sector amounted to $10 million USD (£7.9 million) last year according to IBM. And the potential cybersecurity risk to the sector is anticipated to get worse with further digitalisation. Timur Ozekcin, CEO of Cylera, said: “Healthcare is undergoing a particularly dramatic digital transformation with accelerated spend in IoT expected to reach $54 billion by 2029.” Potentially unmanaged networks “Already medical devices account for more than 30% of connected endpoints at hospitals with devices ranging from X-Rays and CT machines, mobile ultrasound machines, radiotherapy and chemotherapy devices plus online building systems and CCTVs,” continued Tim. “Also, the number of remotely monitored patients has risen sharply in the past couple years. Connected environments are becoming increasingly more complex in healthcare and, with the sector planning further digital investment tens of thousands of more devices will join the IT networks, many of which could be a security risk, expanding a hospital’s attack surface for threat actors to exploit.”    “Remote user access, unsegmented and potentially unmanaged networks, legacy operating systems and limited visibility into IoT device risks are just some of the security challenges keeping healthcare leaders and heads of hospital IT awake at night as they try to navigate the complexities of today’s interconnected device landscape,” added Timur.  Private sector companies Cyber threats to the healthcare sector are among the most sophisticated and targeted across any industry" The Cylera Cybersecurity Advisory Council is made up of select members and involves CISOs, CIOs and CTOs from major healthcare providers and hospitals along with private sector companies. The Council will meet at least four times a year to share best practice, insight, and to address and tackle the unique security challenges of increasing complex interconnected healthcare systems.  One of the Advisory Council members, Brian Tschinkel, CISO at Weill Cornell Medicine, a leading academic health system in New York, said: “Cyber threats to the healthcare sector are among the most sophisticated and targeted across any industry. Healthcare networks are incredibly complex with interconnected medical and IoT devices that caregivers rely on to deliver the highest level of care to their patients.” Future cybersecurity challenges “It is mission critical for hospitals to have visibility of their attack surface and therefore visibility into all connected assets to help secure their organisations. I look forward to advising Cylera to help stay ahead of future cybersecurity challenges. The Advisory Council will also guide Cylera in its global expansion plans and the latest innovations to its IoT device cybersecurity and intelligence platform.”  “Cylera is at the forefront of IoT cybersecurity,” added Tomás Maldonado CISO at the NFL (National Football League) and Cylera Advisory Council member. “With increasing digitalisation and rapid adoption of IoT devices across every industry, including sports and entertainment venues, it’s imperative to stay ahead of the cybersecurity risks to the connected devices that make up our new cyber-physical environments. I’m delighted to be working through the Advisory Council to help shape the future of Cylera on its mission to safeguard our connected world.”