Lewis Normoyle

31-03-2025

Image by rawf8 via Envato Elements

Learn how to protect patient records, meet ICO and CQC standards, and embed cybersecurity awareness across your entire organisation

In highly regulated sectors like healthcare and social care, data is far more than a resource - it’s the foundation of safe, quality service delivery. Every record, care plan, or safeguarding report represents a person whose dignity, safety, and trust are in your hands. As cyber threats rise and data protection laws tighten, organisations must ask themselves: Can we stay compliant, protect sensitive data, and remain service-focused - all at once?

In this blog, Lewis Normoyle explores the practical steps that regulated service providers can take to strengthen their cybersecurity posture, ensure GDPR compliance, and safeguard sensitive information, while introducing a robust solution in ComplyPlus™, developed by The Mandatory Training Group to support compliance with confidence.

Cybersecurity and GDPR - A critical partnership in regulated services

To start, let’s define the core concepts.

Cybersecurity refers to the systems, tools, and processes designed to protect data, networks, and digital infrastructure from unauthorised access, breaches, and cyberattacks. These threats can come from cybercriminals, malicious insiders, or even simple human error.

GDPR, or the General Data Protection Regulation, is the UK and EU legislation that governs how organisations handle personal data. It outlines how data should be collected, stored, processed, and shared, while also providing individuals with the right to access, correct, or delete their information.

In regulated services, data isn’t just valuable - it’s susceptible. This includes health records, safeguarding notes, assessments, and personal identifiers. Failure to protect this data can lead to:

• Severe financial penalties
• Damage to public reputation and trust
• Regulatory action from bodies like the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Care Quality Commission (CQC), or Ofsted
• Harm or distress to the individuals receiving your care or support.

Cybersecurity and GDPR are no longer IT responsibilities alone - they are board-level priorities.

Why you can’t achieve GDPR compliance without cybersecurity

The GDPR makes it clear in Article 32: Organisations must implement “appropriate technical and organisational measures” to protect personal data. While the regulation doesn’t specify which technologies to use, it is crystal clear about the outcome: data must be secure from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage.

That’s where cybersecurity comes in. Encryption, user access controls, secure communication platforms, threat detection, and audit logs are just a few of the tools needed to ensure compliance. If these aren’t in place, or if staff lack the training to use them correctly, GDPR compliance cannot be achieved.

The real cybersecurity threats facing regulated services

Regulated organisations are increasingly being targeted by both sophisticated hackers and internal errors. Some of the most pressing threats include:

Ransomware

Attackers lock down access to your entire system and demand payment to release it. Healthcare and social care providers, with their dependence on uninterrupted data access, are high-risk targets.

Insider threats

These may be intentional or accidental. A simple misstep, such as emailing a confidential document to the wrong person or using an unsecured device, can trigger a serious data breach.

Vulnerable supply chains

Third-party IT providers, software platforms, or cloud storage vendors may expose your organisation to risk if they don’t uphold the same security standards.

Remote working risks

The hybrid and remote working model - often relying on personal devices and unsecured home networks - can open the door to phishing attacks, malware, or data leakage.

Regulatory responsibilities under GDPR

While the risks are real, compliance is entirely achievable with the right approach. Under GDPR, regulated service providers must:

• Establish information governance frameworks
• Complete Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for high-risk data processing activities
• Manage Subject Access Requests (SARs) effectively and within statutory timelines 
• Prepare data breach response plans, including notifying the ICO within 72 hours
• Provide cybersecurity training for staff, tailored to role and risk
• Apply access control and data minimisation principles to limit unnecessary exposure.

These are not just legal requirements - they’re best practices for protecting the individuals and communities you serve.

Creating a culture of cyber awareness

Technology alone won’t keep you safe. Even the most advanced systems can be undone by one untrained employee clicking a phishing link or failing to lock their screen.

That’s why staff training and organisational culture are critical. Cybersecurity must be embedded at every level of the organisation. From care assistants to senior managers, everyone should understand:

• How to recognise suspicious emails and links
• How to securely handle and store personal data
• What to do in the event of a suspected breach
• Why data protection matters to people’s lives, not just policies

Compliance isn’t just about systems. It’s about people understanding their role in keeping others safe.

ComplyPlus™ - Simplifying compliance, strengthening protection

Recognising these growing pressures, we developed ComplyPlus™, our fully integrated regulatory compliance management software. Designed specifically for healthcare, social care, and education providers, ComplyPlus™ eliminates the overwhelm of spreadsheets, disconnected policies, and outdated manual processes.

Here’s how ComplyPlus™ helps you stay protected and inspection-ready:

• Customisable policies for GDPR, cybersecurity, and information governance
• Automated e-learning on data protection and staff responsibilities
• Centralised document storage for easy access and secure archiving
• Audit trails and live dashboards to track compliance progress
• Support for SARs, DPIAs, and breach notifications
• Risk registers to identify, assess, and mitigate cyber threats

This powerful system enables you to manage compliance proactively, not reactively - and with confidence.

What this looks like in practice

Here are just a few examples of how organisations have benefited from implementing ComplyPlus™:

• A care home used the platform to complete a Subject Access Request in under 12 hours, ensuring GDPR compliance and maintaining trust with families.
• An NHS community provider identified and isolated a breach within 30 minutes, avoiding service disruption and reputational damage. 
• An Ofsted-regulated special needs school reduced time spent on GDPR training and policy management by 65%, freeing up valuable leadership time.

These outcomes are possible because ComplyPlus™ supports compliance as a system-wide culture, not just a paper exercise.

Your five-step cybersecurity and GDPR checklist

Ready to assess your current setup? Here’s a quick checklist:

• Map your data - Know what personal data you collect, where it’s stored, and who can access it.
• Clarify your lawful basis - Ensure every data processing activity has a legal foundation.
• Deliver regular training - Ensure all staff are confident in handling sensitive data.
• Test your incident response plans - Don’t wait for a breach to discover gaps.
• Implement a system like ComplyPlus™ - Centralise, streamline, and strengthen your compliance activities.

Compliance is care - A final word

When we talk about sensitive data protection, we’re really talking about human dignity, safety, and trust. Whether you support patients, residents, learners, or frontline workers, they rely on you to protect their information with the same care you provide in every other aspect of your service.

At The Mandatory Training Group, we believe that compliance should be empowering, not burdensome. That belief is what led us to develop ComplyPlus™, an intuitive platform that helps regulated services meet their responsibilities and build a stronger, safer digital foundation.

Let’s stop viewing cybersecurity and GDPR as tick-box exercises. Let’s treat them as pillars of quality care and professional integrity.

Take the next step - Lead with confidence in compliance

As Chief Operations Officer at The Mandatory Training Group, I’ve had the privilege of leading the development of ComplyPlus™ with one mission: to help regulated service providers take control of their compliance landscape.

Whether you're an NHS Trust, local authority provider, care home group, or special education setting, ComplyPlus™ equips you with the tools, structure, and support to protect what matters most - your people and their data.

Last updated on 05-07-2025