Systal – the Glasgow-headquartered managed network, security and cloud transformation specialist – has been chosen to be the delivery partner for NHS National Services Scotland’s security operations centre (SOC).
The technology company, which operates in 93 countries, will help ‘increase the capacity and capability’ of NHS NSS’s security operations centre in Dundee, following a competitive tender process.
In December 2022, NHS NSS launched the Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE) to enhance NHS Scotland’s capability to protect Scotland’s patients, data, and NHS staff from the threat of cyberattacks. NHS NSS has partnered with Systal to create an increasingly effective SOC and incident response capability that ensures 24/7 protection across NHS Scotland’s assets, infrastructure, and patient data.
Under the agreement, Systal will provide support both remotely from the SOC within their Glasgow headquarters, as well as onsite at the Abertay CyberQuarter in Dundee. Based at Abertay University, the cyberQuarter is an £18m cybersecurity research and development centre that brings together students, academics, and organisations to help solve global cybersecurity challenges.
“We are delighted that Systal will play its part in helping NHS Scotland protect its critical healthcare infrastructure” said Neil Nicolson, CEO at Systal. “As well as helping NHS Scotland today, our membership with Abertay’s cyberQuarter looks to the future. It reinforces Systal’s longer term commitment to fostering the development of the next generation of cyber industry specialists in Scotland”.
Scott Barnett, CISO at NHS National Services Scotland, added: “NHS National Services Scotland have recently appointed Systal as our delivery partner for the NHS Scotland Cyber Centre of Excellence. Their values align with ours, and we are looking forward to the opportunities of working together for the benefit of NHS Scotland and our patients.”
Professor Lynne Coventry, director of Abertay University cyberquarter, added: “We are delighted to welcome Systal as a partner at the Abertay cyberQuarter. As a global leader in network, cloud, and cybersecurity services, Systal brings a wealth of expertise that will significantly enhance our initiative.
“Together, we will use our collective knowledge to develop innovative cybersecurity solutions and expand our unique collaborative platform that connects industry professionals, academic experts, and students. With the support of our 10 current partners, Systal will further enrich our collaborative ecosystem, driving impactful advancements in cybersecurity and technology.”