Think your business is secure enough to supply the NHS?
Think again.
The NHS supply chain is under constant attack, and government expectations are rising fast.
Whether you supply software, IT services, admin support, or patient-facing tools, your cybersecurity posture now directly impacts public safety.
And if you’re not certified?
You're not trusted.
The NHS Is Raising the Bar on Cyber Security
The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care, in collaboration with the NCSC and DSIT, has made one thing crystal clear:
If you want to work with the NHS, you must prove you’re not the weakest link in the chain.
That means suppliers are now expected to follow strict cyber controls—not just once a year but every day. The risks? Patient data exposure, service shutdowns, lawsuits, lost contracts, and total reputational collapse.
Here’s What the NHS Expects — and How IAMSE Cyber Essentials & Assurance will Help You
Let’s break it down.
1. Patch Management & Secure Configuration
NHS expects: All systems must be securely configured and regularly patched to prevent known vulnerabilities from being exploited.
→ Cyber Essentials ensures your systems are securely configured and regularly updated.
→ Cyber Assurance goes further, requiring evidence of automated patching, policies, and audit trails.
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
NHS expects: Suppliers must implement MFA across critical accounts and services to reduce the risk of unauthorised access.
→ Cyber Essentials mandates MFA for admin accounts and cloud platforms.
→ Cyber Assurance makes it part of your access governance and user management protocols.
3. 24/7 Monitoring and Threat Detection
NHS expects: Continuous monitoring, logging, and threat detection to ensure rapid identification and mitigation of attacks.
→ Cyber Essentials encourages basic malware defence.
→ Cyber Assurance supports continuous logging, alerting, and threat intel — even third-party SOC integration.
4. Immutable Backups & Disaster Recovery
NHS expects: Secure, tamper-proof backups with proven recovery plans that can withstand ransomware and data loss incidents.
→ Essentials requires working backups.
→ Assurance demands proven, tested recovery plans and data integrity measures aligned with NHS standards.
5. Incident Reporting and Response Readiness
NHS expects: Suppliers must have formalised plans for managing and reporting cyber incidents, including timelines and responsible roles.
→ Essentials includes breach response planning.
→ Assurance requires documented playbooks, breach logs, RCA procedures, and stakeholder notification protocols
6. Secure Software Development
NHS expects: Software provided or developed must follow secure coding practices and meet NCSC’s Software Code of Practice.
→ Essentials ensures software isn’t exposing you.
→ Assurance aligns with NCSC’s Software Code of Practice and builds security into your SDLC.
7. DSPT Compliance Made Easy
NHS expects: Annual completion of the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT), demonstrating robust cyber controls and governance.
→ Essentials supports DSPT by covering the fundamentals.
→ Assurance streamlines the annual NHS DSPT self-assessment by proving maturity in governance, risk, and controls.
8. Board-Level Cyber Awareness
NHS expects: Cybersecurity responsibilities must be embedded at board level, with senior executives accountable for risk.
→ Essentials gets executive sign-off.
→ Assurance holds boards accountable with assigned responsibilities and documented cyber ownership.
9. Appointed IG Lead, SIRO, and Caldicott Guardian
NHS expects: Suppliers must appoint designated leads for information governance, information risk, and data confidentiality.
→ Essentials shows the need for roles.
→ Assurance formally requires named individuals for IG, SIRO, and Caldicott responsibilities — with policies to back them up.
Once Certified What's next?
Ongoing Compliance is the real game-changer, of course!
One-off certification won’t cut it anymore.
To stay in the NHS supply chain, you must go beyond the badge. That means implementing monthly vulnerability assessments and regular penetration testing to:
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Spot new threats before they strike
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Validate defences with real-world simulations
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Keep your leadership informed with clear risk reports
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Show your NHS clients you take security seriously
Final Word: If You're Not Certified — You’re a Risk
The NHS doesn’t just expect compliance. It expects confidence.
That’s what Cyber Essentials and IASME Cyber Assurance deliver.
So, ask yourself:
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Can your business prove its cyber hygiene today?
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Do you know your weaknesses before a hacker does?
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Will your next contract depend on this?
If you're unsure, it’s time to act.
Ready to Certify?
CyberTec Security is an official Certifying Body for Cyber Essentials and Cyber Assurance.
We help NHS suppliers get certified fast — and stay protected with monthly testing and continuous
