Cybersecurity in cloud-based care: Protecting service user data with confidence
Discover how CareLineLive protects sensitive care data through ISO 27001-certified cybersecurity, encryption and UK-based secure hosting for home care providers. This makes the sector an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals.
Why cybersecurity matters more in home care
Home care providers are at risk of cyber attack
Home care providers handle some of the most sensitive information imaginable – not just names and addresses, but full care plans, medical details and personal notes about vulnerable individuals. In recent years, the sector has faced a growing number of cyber-attacks, from ransomware incidents to phishing campaigns targeting unprotected systems. According to Indusface research, healthcare is now ranked as the 5th most targeted sector globally for cyber attacks, with ransomware and credential-based attacks continuing to rise year on year.
High profile incidents have demonstrated the scale of risk involved. In one widely reported case, the University of Manchester cyber attack resulted in the compromise of more than one million NHS patient records, highlighting how a single breach can impact the wider health and care ecosystem.
Unlike large hospitals with dedicated IT teams, many community-based providers operate with limited technical resources, making them a prime target. Smaller organisations can become attractive targets due to the sensitivity and value of the data they manage, even when they lack the scale of larger institutions.
When cyber incidents or system failures occur, the impact is felt directly on care delivery. Teams can lose access to care plans or medication records, increasing the risk of missed doses, safeguarding gaps and disrupted visits. In some cases, providers across the sector have been forced back onto paper records for extended periods following incidents – adding risk, stress, admin burden and compliance pressure at the worst possible time.
That’s why choosing software with built-in cybersecurity is essential – not just for compliance, but for safeguarding trust.
The risks of traditional (on-premise) systems
Legacy, on-premise care management systems often rely on local servers or remote-desktop access. While familiar, these setups carry major risks:
- Higher exposure to human error – staff managing their own updates or backups can accidentally leave systems vulnerable
- Weak remote access controls – remote-desktop protocols are one of the most exploited attack routes in care organisations
- Limited resilience – a single hardware failure or malware infection can take an entire system offline
By contrast, secure cloud-based care management software like CareLineLive offers advanced, layered protection that most in-house systems simply can’t match.
Built-in security by design
At CareLineLive, cybersecurity isn’t an afterthought – it’s part of the engineering process. Our platform is developed and maintained to meet the highest recognised standard across information security, quality management, clinical data governance and public sector assurance.
CareLineLive is one of very few home care management software providers that have achieved this complete combination of accreditations and recognised frameworks, giving providers, commissioners and partners confidence in the platform’s security, reliability and interoperability.
- ISO 27001 certification – QMS International certified since 2022, demonstrating compliance with the international gold standard for information security
- ISO 9001 certification – demonstrating robust, consistently applied quality management processes that support reliability, continuous improvement and controlled change across the platform
- NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit – ensuring full alignment with NHS-approved controls for health and social care organisations
- Cyber Essentials Plus – validation of our cyber-resilience through independent penetration testing
- Compliance with NHS England’s DSCR Information Governance Standards – ensuring our cloud-based platform meets the specific data security, interoperability and privacy criteria set out in the Digital Social Care Records framework
- UK Government G-Cloud approved supplier – this is a framework of agreements with suppliers from which public sector organisations can buy services without needing to run a full tender or competition procurement process
Together, these certifications and standards prove that CareLineLive doesn’t just talk about security, we continually demonstrate it.
How CareLineLive protects your data
Our multi-layered defence ensures that sensitive information is safe from both external threats and accidental loss.
- Encryption in transit and at rest – every data transfer and stored record is protected using strong encryption protocols
- Strict firewall and intrusion detection – AI-assisted monitoring identifies and isolates suspicious activity before it can escalate
- Isolated network infrastructure – segmentation prevents malware from spreading across systems
- Regular penetration testing–automated and human-led assessments continuously probe for vulnerabilities
- UK-based, secure data hosting – all customer data remains within NHS-approved, GDPR-compliant data centres
- Ongoing alignment with DSCR data protection principles – including accountability, access control and audit trail visibility for every user session
- Secure, fully managed handsets – CareLineLive provides secure, fully managed mobile devices for care teams, removing the risks of BYOD use. If a handset is lost or stolen, data can be remotely locked and wiped, ensuring sensitive care information remains protected and access is fully controlled
The result is a platform you can rely on with 99.997% uptime, proven resilience and full compliance with care sector regulations.
Session management and access control
CareLineLive applies strict session management controls to reduce the risk of unauthorised access during day-to-day use. Web sessions automatically expire after one hour of inactivity, active sessions can be remotely terminated through the management system, and passcodes are enforced across all CareLineLive-managed mobile devices.
These controls ensure access is consistently governed, even if a device is lost, shared or left unattended.
Security continuity and data resilience
Protecting sensitive care data means planning for more than just prevention. CareLineLive is designed to ensure data integrity and secure recovery even in the event of unexpected incidents, cyber threats or system disruption.
Key security-led resilience measures include:
- Immutable, point-in-time backups that prevent unauthorised alteration or deletion of care records, supporting protection against ransomware and data corruption
- UK-based data centres that limit blast-radius risk and prevent security incidents from spreading across environments
- Controlled recovery processes that restore data securely while maintaining access controls, audit trails and user accountability
- Continuous vulnerability monitoring to identify and address emerging risks before they can compromise data security
These measures ensure that service user information remains protected, recoverable and compliant at all times.
To learn more about how CareLineLive delivers uninterrupted service availability and industry-leading uptime, explore our reliability and uptime infrastructure.
Meeting and exceeding regulatory requirements
CareLineLive helps you to meet all key frameworks, including:
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
- NHS DSPT (Data Security and Protection Toolkit)
- ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus
These give you demonstrable assurance for regulators, commissioners and families that every record is handled with the highest care - NHS England DSCR Information Governance Standards – a framework outlining the security, access and interoperability requirements for certified digital social care record systems
Cybersecurity in home care isn’t just good practice, it’s a legal and contractual requirement.
Choosing secure care management software
When evaluating providers, care managers should look for:
- Independent security certifications (ISO 27001, DSPT, Cyber Essentials Plus and evidence of compliance with DSCR standards as listed on the NHS England Assured Supplier List)
- Transparent uptime and disaster-recovery reporting
- Clear data-hosting locations (ideally UK-based)
- Encryption and access-control details in plain English
- Regular penetration and vulnerability testing schedules
CareLineLive delivers all these and more, giving providers confidence that technology will never compromise quality of care.
Protect your clients and your reputation
In an era where data breaches can damage both trust and compliance ratings, it pays to invest in software designed for security from the ground up.
CareLineLive’s cloud-based care management software combines robust cybersecurity with intuitive functionality, empowering you to deliver outstanding care without risk.