The state of cyber security in adult social care

March 24th 2025

The Government has launched an important evidence review of the state of cyber security in the care sector. The state of cyber security in adult social care provides critical insights into the challenges faced by care providers and highlights areas for improvement. This report outlines the progress made in raising awareness and strengthening defences, while also identifying gaps that still need to be addressed.

According to the report, access to cyber security expertise provided by Better Security, Better Care through the Digital Care Hub was consistently associated with better cyber security practices when compared with the average. Care providers who accessed this expertise:

• had better awareness of the likely impact of a cyber incident
• were more likely to have various rules, controls, policies, and procedures in place to manage cyber security day-to-day and respond to incidents
• were more positive about training and staff awareness on cyber security.

Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Social Care, emphasised the importance of having a stronger evidence base on the level of risk facing the care sector, stating:

“The adult social care cyber security landscape report provides this and outlines how the work of the Better Security, Better Care programme, a grant-funded DHSC programme, has brought cyber security up the agenda for care providers. Whilst this is a positive step in the right direction, the report has highlighted that there is still work to be done in order to realise the strategic aims of the health and care cyber security strategy to 2030. The government is committed to continuous investment in digital and cyber security for the adult social care system. We will continue to build on the work of the Better Security, Better Care Programme, and work with providers to increase standards and adopt the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Cyber Assessment Framework.

“Given the financial challenges facing the sector, heightened cyber security is of the utmost importance to prevent both harm to those receiving care and support, and increased financial costs from cyber incidents.

“I want to thank the hard work of all care providers who continue to invest resources into the safety and security of those working in and drawing on care. The government recognises the value of cyber security within adult social care and its importance in protecting the wider system, including the NHS.”

Michelle Corrigan, Programme Director of the Digital Care Hub, welcomed the recognition of the Better Security, Better Care programme and the ongoing government support, stating:

“This report provides vital evidence and will enable us to improve the support Digital Care Hub offers to the sector. It is encouraging to see the impact of the Better Security, Better Care programme acknowledged in this report, highlighting the progress made in bringing cyber security to the forefront for care providers. We welcome the government’s commitment to continued investment in digital and cyber security, as this remains a critical issue for the sector.

“Our focus remains on supporting care providers to not only understand the nature of cyber security risks but also to implement good practices in their daily operations. Cyber security is not just about policies and compliance—it is about embedding safer ways of working that protect the people receiving care and those providing it. We will continue to work alongside providers to ensure they have the knowledge, tools, and confidence to strengthen their cyber resilience.”

Digital Care Hub has published a summary of the key findings and implications of the report.

The full report, The state of cyber security in adult social care, is available on Gov.UK website.

Notes to editors

Background

• The landscape report aims to equip care providers and their suppliers with the evidence and data needed to understand the extent of the risks posed by cyber. In March 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England published ’A cyber resilient health and adult social care system in England: cyber security strategy to 2030’. The strategy sets out the importance of cyber security in ensuring patient and service user safety, which details the future vision for a cyber resilient health and social care system and outlines some of the challenges and threats faced by each sector. The strategy is committed to the publication of a landscape report detailing the current state of cyber security within adult social care providers, in response to a lack of evidence on the level of risk in the adult social care sector.
• The report was produced by Ipsos UK in collaboration with the Institute of Public Care, on behalf of DHSC. It provides a strong evidence base for both policy-makers and care providers to better understand the cyber security risk within the care sector. It ensures we meet the changing shifts and support care providers on their digitisation journey, building on the work that has already been done to improve cyber resilience. The adult social care cyber security landscape report provides a more robust basis on current cyber security practices and trends within the sector, and outlines how the work of the Better Security, Better Care programme, a grant funded DHSC programme, has brought cyber security up the agenda for care providers.
• Whilst this is a positive step in the right direction, the report has highlighted that there is still work to be done in order to realise the strategic aims of the health and care cyber security strategy to 2030.

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