Digital Care Hub develops cyber incident communication checklists

Digital Care Hub has launched resources to help adult social care providers prepare their communications before a cyber incident happens.

The resources include separate checklists for homecare and residential care services and are designed to sit alongside a provider’s business continuity plan. The checklists aim to give operators a simple structure to follow, helping them decide who needs to be contacted, what should be said and when the next update should follow.

‘A cyber incident is not just a technical problem. It can affect care, staff confidence, family trust and the ability to keep services running. That is why communications planning is an important part of business continuity planning. Providers need to know who they will contact, what they will say, when they will update people and how they will reach them if normal systems are not working. Even basic things, like keeping contact details up to date, can make a real difference in a crisis,’ said Daniel O’Shaughnessy, head of delivery at Digital Care Hub.

The checklists prompt providers to identify key roles, keep printed and offline copies of important contacts, agree back-up communication routes, prepare short holding statements and practise their response at least once a year. They also include prompts for the first few hours of an incident, stakeholder updates and post-incident review.

For residential care services, the checklist also looks at the extra risks linked to digital systems, connected equipment and building-based technology, such as digital care records, electronic medication administration records, nurse call systems, falls sensors, Wi-Fi, phones and access control.

Dr Jason RC Nurse, reader in cyber security at the University of Kent, worked with Digital Care Hub and care services to develop the checklists. He said: ‘Effective communication is essential to planning for and responding to cyber incidents, but it is often overlooked. This new checklist will help care organisations strengthen their cyber resilience and respond more effectively when incidents occur.’

To access the resources click here.