Security and privacy for healthcare.

NHS trusts, private clinics, GP practices, and health tech platforms hold special category data under UK GDPR — health information, mental health records, genetic data, and more. The regulatory obligations are correspondingly high, and the consequences of a breach extend well beyond a fine.

The 2022 ransomware attack on Advanced Computer Software, which disrupted NHS 111 and clinical systems across England, demonstrated the real-world operational impact a cyber incident can have on patient care. The subsequent £6 million ICO fine confirmed that inadequate security controls in healthcare carry serious consequences.

The DSP Toolkit sets mandatory minimum security standards for all organisations connected to NHS systems. Beyond the NHS, private healthcare providers and health tech companies face growing pressure from clients, commissioners, and insurers to demonstrate verified security maturity.

Principle Defence works with healthcare organisations at every scale — from single-site private clinics to multi-site NHS-connected providers — delivering proportionate, genuinely effective security and privacy programmes grounded in operational reality.