Cyber incidents can have a major impact on care services. Systems may be unavailable, information may be difficult to access, and staff, people drawing on care, families and partners may need clear updates quickly.
Good communication helps reduce uncertainty, supports safe care and makes sure the right people know what is happening, what they need to do and when they will be updated again.
Digital Care Hub has developed editable communication checklists to help adult social care providers prepare before a cyber incident and communicate during one. There are separate versions for home care services and care homes. Each checklist should be used alongside your Business Continuity Plan.
What is a cyber incident?
A cyber incident is any event that affects the confidentiality, integrity or availability of your organisation’s IT systems or data. This includes malware, ransomware, phishing, theft, damage to IT systems or data, or problems caused by power outage, fire or flood.
During an incident, systems such as care planning software, electronic medication records, staff rostering, call monitoring, email, phones, shared drives or supplier portals may be unavailable or unsafe to use. This can affect your ability to deliver care or contact people, so clear communication matters.
Download the checklists
You can download and adapt the following resources to work alongside your wider business continuity plan:
- Cyber incident communication checklist for home care providers
- Cyber incident communication checklist for residential services
Each checklist includes actions to take before an incident, communications actions for the first hours, prompts on who to inform, communication guidance and an update table.
Make sure to keep your checklist, business continuity plan, contact details and all related content in a place that you can access if your digital systems go down. For example, in print and/or a standalone computer.
Related resources
Find useful advice and support on managing cyber incidents:
- Cyber Security Guidance: Digital Care Hub’s guidance on reducing the risk and impact of cyber incidents.
- Digital Business Continuity Plan: Digital Care Hub’s templates and guidance
- Digital Health Checks – free Digital Health Checks to help adult social care providers check if their data protection and cyber security arrangements are working in practice.
- Effective Communications and Public Relations after a Cyber Security Incident: a research-based framework for communicating effectively following a cyber incident.
Development of this resource
The communications checklists were co-designed by a working group comprising representatives from care associations and care workers, led by Professor Jason Nurse of the University of Kent. Professor Nurse is a cyber security expert and creator of the research-based incident communications framework on which some of this check list is based. Professor Nurse also fed into the development of the Local Government Association’s Cyber Incident Grab Bag.
The checklists were developed and tested in collaboration with care providers to ensure it is practical, relevant, and effective for those delivering care services.
