Privitar has joined forces with cybersecurity leaders from across the globe to help combat the unprecedented uptick in cyberattacks facing the healthcare sector amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the newly launched Cyber Alliance to Defend our Healthcare, Privitar has committed to sharing our data privacy insights and expertise to help vital healthcare providers and researchers during this critical time.

C5 Capital, the specialist investment firm that exclusively invests in the secure data ecosystem, including cybersecurity, AI, cloud and space, first launched the Alliance in March to provide free cybersecurity support to healthcare and research organizations that are already under huge pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since launching the Alliance in March, C5 Capital has noted a ten-fold increase in cyberattacks, such as ransomware, on the sector, adding an additional threat to already-overburdened hospitals, clinics and research facilities.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently warned that more than 25,000 email addresses from its organisation and others related to its operations – such as the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US – had been compromised.

Through collective defence, members of the Alliance will work together to protect healthcare workers on the frontline of the epidemic. This work is helping to ensure hospitals and clinics protect their internal systems and databases for patients, healthcare workers and volunteers. It is also enabling pharmaceutical research and development facilities to safeguard their work while developing a vaccine to fight the COVID-19 virus both safely and efficiently.

Other members of the Alliance include ITC Secure, IronNet Cyber Security, Haven Cyber Technologies, Enveil, 4iQ, Blue Cedar, SAPNS2, Modex, Telos, OneVinn, Trustar, Cynamics, SOSA / The Global Cyber Centre and Klaatu IT Security.

Privitar CEO Jason du Preez, CEO of Privitar commented on the importance of this initiative: “Now more than ever, ensuring that valuable health data can be shared and used safely is of paramount importance. By working together we can ensure a more comprehensive and robust defence for our vital healthcare providers and researchers during this critical time. Privitar is pleased to partner with the Cyber Alliance to Defend our Healthcare, by offering our expertise in data privacy. We know from our work with national health providers, global pharmaceuticals and leading health insurers how important it is to complement data security measures with data privacy controls.This layered approach enables safer collaboration over sensitive data and reduces the risk posed by a breach.”

Andre Pienaar, Founder, C5 Capital added, “We’re hugely grateful to have the support of Privitar and welcome them to the Alliance. With many of the world’s leading cybersecurity experts now contributing their services and knowledge for free we have a powerful united front to combat cyber threats to global health organizations when they are already under immense strain as a result of this terrible pandemic.”

Data Privacy