Digital Fire Drill: Cyber Security for Social Care Providers

Cyber security incidents in social care are increasing and most start with everyday situations, not technical failures. This interactive Digital Fire Drill is designed specifically for care providers, focusing on real risks, real examples and practical actions you can take straight away.

This is not a technical session. Instead, it uses live polling, discussion and real case studies to help you reflect on your own organisation, share challenges with peers and build confidence in responding to cyber threats.

What we’ll cover

• The types of personal, sensitive and financial data care providers routinely hold — and why this matters
• Best practice for protecting data, including secure email, passwords, MFA, staff awareness and access controls
• Real incidents from the care sector, including:
• A ransomware attack in Sussex that locked a provider out of systems for months
• An email spoofing incident where a hacker attempted to divert a refund payment
• CEO fraud leading to a serious data breach and a formal investigation and report to the ICO.
• How these incidents could have been prevented and what would reduce the impact next time
• The Secure Email Standard and what it means in practice for care providers
• The Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) — now mandatory for CQC-regulated adult social care providers
• How Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus complement DSPT and strengthen cyber resilience

How the session works

Expect a highly interactive format, including:

• Live polls and word clouds
• Short “spot the risk” scenarios
• Group discussion and shared learning

You’ll be encouraged to reflect on your own organisation and leave with clear, practical next steps , no technical expertise required.

Who should attend

• Registered Managers
• Owners and senior leaders
• Anyone responsible for data protection, compliance, digital systems or cyber security

What you’ll gain

By the end of the session, you’ll have greater awareness, increased confidence and practical guidance to help your organisation reduce cyber risk, communicate securely and meet national expectations.

This event is part of the Better Security, Better Care programme, funded by NHS Transformation Directorate to support data and cyber security across the adult social care provider sector.