The 19th meeting of the National Cybersecurity Cluster was devoted to the consideration of cybersecurity issues in the healthcare sector. The relevance of the topic was driven by many factors, but the main focus of the event was the protection of citizens` personal data.
“Why did we choose the topic related to cybersecurity in medicine and healthcare today? This decision is due to the fact that based on the threat landscape analysis, we observe that access to citizens’ data is an important goal of Russian hackers. Therefore, the protection of personal medical information becomes one of the most important areas, while the protection of systems that process such information remains a priority,” stressed Serhiy Prokopenko, Head of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity Support Department Support (NCSCC).
Healthcare institutions hold large amounts of sensitive patient information. Unauthorized access to such information by third parties can lead not only to the collapse of the system, but also affect each individual user of medical services.
That is why at the 19th meeting of the Cluster, the topic of cyber challenges in the medical sector was considered through the prism of the strategic vision of the public and private sectors. The speakers of the first part of the meeting were representatives of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the National Health Service of Ukraine, and the state-owned enterprise “Electronic Health”.
“In my opinion, the healthcare sector requires special attention in terms of building reliable cyber defense. First of all, because it means the security of personal data of each patient. However, I would like to emphasize that the key to the stability of the cybersecurity system is a comprehensive approach to protection both in each industry and in the country as a whole. This cannot be achieved without a multilateral dialog,” said Mykhailo Verich, Senior Operations Manager at CRDF Global in Ukraine.
Best practices in risk management and innovative solutions in the industry were shared by international partners from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Mandiant and DeHealth. The speakers emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in this area.
The meeting brought together over 200 participants from more than 80 organizations. Traditionally, the Cluster served as a platform for bringing together representatives of the public sector, business, embassies, donor community, international organizations and academia.
Despite the diversity of topics covered at each of the Cluster’s meetings, an important aspect of each of them is the synchronization of all participants in the cybersecurity ecosystem. Coordinating their efforts for further development is a driver for positive changes in the sector and strengthening Ukraine’s position in the cyber arena. In this process, the role of both central and regional authorities remains important.
Background:
The National Cybersecurity Cluster is a joint coordination effort of the NCSCC at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and Representation of U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation in Ukraine, CRDF Global, with the support of the U.S. Department of State. The platform unites key Ukrainian and international players in the sphere of cybersecurity and related areas to address key needs of the cyber community in Ukraine.
