Cyber security practices and impacts within the adult social care sector

The Department of Health and Social Care have commissioned Ipsos UK and the Institute of Public Care to conduct research looking into the cyber security environment and impacts of cyber incidents within the adult social care sector.

This important research will help build our knowledge beyond the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (the standard used for cyber and data protection across health and social care), to look at outcomes and impacts of cyber incidents, both on care providers and those receiving care.

This will be a key part of achieving the ambition for the Cyber security strategy for health and social care: 2023 to 2030 and will support policy development, risk analysis, and planning within cyber. It will allow the DHSC to focus on the greatest harms, target interventions, and ensure or planning is realistic and evidenced. The research will also provide a baseline to be able to track cyber impact and conduct similar research in the future.

Key stakeholders will be involved in developing the scope of the research, which will benefit from the input of an Expert Reference Group which includes stakeholders from across the sector.

Fieldwork will be taking place between September 2023 and February 2024. It will include online surveys, qualitative interviews, and discussion groups with a range of audiences across England.