NHS Test and Trace strengthens its cyber defences

NHS Test and Trace has selected British cybersecurity company Risk Ledger to manage cybersecurity risks.

NHS Test and Trace has selected British cybersecurity company Risk Ledger to manage cybersecurity risks in their supply chain as a proactive measure to mitigate the increasing risks NHS and other critical national infrastructure organisations face from supply chain cyber-attacks. The Risk Ledger platform will give the UK government-funded service all the tools they need to manage cybersecurity risks in their supply chain at speed for a low per-supplier cost – at least 60% cheaper than traditional solutions.

Cybersecurity risks in the supply chain can include third parties failing to encrypt sensitive data as it is being transferred. NHS Test and Trace, established to track and help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in England, will take advantage of Risk Ledger’s key innovation, its secure ‘social network’ allowing organisations to connect and share risk data securely quickly and easily. This gives organisations like NHS Test and Trace unparalleled visibility of their supply chain and a comprehensive set of data to identify, measure and mitigate supply chain security risks at scale. 

Major supply chain cybersecurity breaches at Solarwinds and Microsoft have put the challenge of securing supply chains at the top of the agenda for organisations worldwide in recent months.

Minister for Digital Infrastructure Matt Warman MP said: “The government is working tirelessly to secure the nation online and grow the UK’s £8.9 billion cybersecurity industry as we build back better from the pandemic. We’re helping SMEs develop innovative products and services, and it’s great to see Risk Ledger, one of the firms we’ve supported, win this contract to protect the Test and Trace system and support the national effort against coronavirus.”

Risk Ledger’s client base includes BAE AI, City of London Police, Telenor, Schroder’s Personal Wealth and ASOS. Risk Ledger CEO and Co-Founder Haydn Brooks said: “NHS Test and Trace is essentially the biggest new startup in the UK healthcare market, so we are delighted they have chosen to take advantage of our ability to provide enhanced visibility of their supply chain risks. I am proud we will be part of the effort to secure this critical supply chain.

READ MORE:

“Healthcare organisations and their supply chains handle lots of highly sensitive data and have a high rate of data breaches. We have already seen during the COVID-19 pandemic that bad actors are actively targeting supply chains to access data and cause disruption,” added Brooks.

Risk Ledger is a rising star of the UK’s growing cybersecurity scene, having won competitions run by the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Centre, the tech industry body TechUK and most recently a winner in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport’s ‘Most Innovative UK Cyber SME of the Year’ competition in May. The company is also a member of the UK Government-backed LORCA programme (London Office of Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement).

For more news from Top Business Tech, don’t forget to subscribe to our daily bulletin!

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Luke Conrad

Technology & Marketing Enthusiast

The need to eradicate platform dependence

Sue Azari • 10th March 2025

The advertising industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Connected TV (CTV), Retail Media Networks (RMNs), and omnichannel strategies are rapidly redefining how brands engage with consumers. As digital privacy regulations evolve and platform dynamics shift, advertisers must recognise a fundamental truth. You cannot build a sustainable business on borrowed ground. The recent uncertainty surrounding TikTok...

The need to clean data for effective insight

David Sheldrake • 05th March 2025

There is more data today than ever before. In fact, the total amount of data created, captured, copied, and consumed globally has now reached an incredible 149 zettabytes. The growth of the big mountain is not expected to slow down, either, with it expected to reach almost 400 zettabytes within the next three years. Whilst...

What can be done to democratize VDI?

Dennis Damen • 05th March 2025

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) offers businesses enhanced security, scalability, and compliance, yet it remains a niche technology. One of the biggest barriers to widespread adoption is a severe talent gap. Many IT professionals lack hands-on VDI experience, as their careers begin with physical machines and increasingly shift toward cloud-based services. This shortage has created a...

Tech and Business Outlook: US Confident, European Sentiment Mixed

Viva Technology • 11th February 2025

The VivaTech Confidence Barometer, now in its second edition, reveals strong confidence among tech executives regarding the impact of emerging technologies on business competitiveness, particularly AI, which is expected to have the most significant impact in the near future. Surveying tech leaders from Europe and North America, 81% recognize their companies as competitive internationally, with...

How smart labels are transforming supply chains

Sharath Muddaiah • 27th January 2025

As e-commerce continues to rise globally, the impact of just-in-time manufacturing and rising consumer expectations mean the need for real-time visibility has never been greater. Smart labels directly address this demand, offering solutions to long-standing challenges like shipment delays, theft, and the lack of traceability. With the smart label market projected to grow from $14.1...

The rise of loyalty apps

Sue Azari • 17th January 2025

Increased choice and a consumer more price sensitive than ever before, has made customers far more likely to shop around for the best deals. Price is now the number one factor in brand consideration. In an effort to bag a bargain, loyalty programs have become increasingly popular with consumers, with nine out of ten in...

Rocket launch challenges Elon Musk’s space dominance

Professor Sultan Mahmud • 16th January 2025

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s space company has blasted its first rocket into orbit in a bid to challenge the dominance of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The New Glenn rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 02:02 local time (07:02 GMT). It firmly pits the world’s two richest men against each other in...