The U.K. Department of Health and Social Care, which oversees the U.K. National Health Service, entered into a deal with Microsoft to improve its cybersecurity efforts systemwide, Microsoft confirmed April 28.
Under the deal, all NHS facilities will be able to upgrade their systems and devices with security features from Windows 10, Microsoft's latest operating system, which includes services to detect viruses, phishing and malware. One of the Windows 10 features is the Windows Defender ATP, which provides automated responses against various cyberthreats.
The U.K. Department of Health and Social Care pursued the agreement with Microsoft to build its cybersecurity resilience following the worldwide ransomware attack WannaCry, which infected 200,000-plus computers in more than 150 countries in May 2017. NHS represented one of WannaCry's most prominent victims, as the ransomware affected more than one-third of NHS trusts.
"We know cyberattacks are a growing threat, so it is vital our health and care organisations have secure systems which patients trust," U.K. Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in an April 28 statement. "We have been building the capability of NHS systems over a number of years, but there is always more to do to future-proof our NHS as far as reasonably possible against this threat."