Cisco Umbrella: Maximum threat protection
for the NHS
The subject of cyber security has never been higher on the agenda in the NHS as it is today.
Often cited as the wake-up call, the 2017 WannaCry incident served as a stark lesson to many
of the level of reliance that modern health and care delivery has on IT systems.
In the face of this absolute dependence on technology, which has also introduced a rapidly
expanding volume and diversity of devices, NHS organisations are faced with an ever increasing
need to be able to swiftly identify and prevent malicious activity within their networks.
Cisco Umbrella
Umbrella is Cisco's secure internet gateway solution, a cloud security platform that provides the
first line of defence against threats on the internet wherever your employees work. It proactively
blocks malicious requests before they reach your network or endpoints.
With Umbrella, you can stop phishing and malware infections earlier, identify already infected
devices faster, and prevent data exfiltration. By stopping threats earlier, you'll see fewer alerts
across the rest of your security stack.
Blocks advanced, known and emerging threats
The Cisco Umbrella solution utilises the Domain Name Service (DNS) to block advanced known
and emerging threats over any port or protocol. The cloud-based service processes over 140
billion DNS requests a day and it is through this huge, global visibility that enables the service to
protect against malware, ransomware, phishing and more. The use of DNS also enables rapid
deployment, requiring no hardware or software to be installed.
Protection for mobile devices
Cisco Umbrella can also be deployed on mobile devices such as laptops, tablets and smart
phones. A small agent is deployed to each endpoint ensuring that DNS requests are sent to
Umbrella, regardless of the network the device is connected to. Visibility and protection is
therefore applied consistently across all devices, regardless of location.
Cisco Umbrella deployment for the NHS
The ways in which DNS services are provided in the NHS mean the deployment of Umbrella
requires a couple of simple additional steps to ensure that access to centrally hosted services
remain in place.
These straightforward steps require the configuration of conditional forwarding rules for three
domains (nhs.uk, nhs.net and hscic.gov.uk) to be sent to the centrally hosted NHS DNS servers.
All other Internet domains can then be resolved via the Cisco Umbrella DNS service. The
Specialist Umbrella Health and care team will be on hand to give full support throughout your
deployment.
Next steps - Free trial
Set up your own free trial (http://cs.co/Free-Trial) to see the attacks currently bypassing your
security stack. You'll also receive in an in-depth security report at the end.
For more information, contact the health and care team (http://cs.co/Contact-us).
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Key features
• Blocks advanced, known and
emerging threats
• Protects mobile devices
• Stops phishing and malware
infections earlier
Key numbers
• 150 billion daily internet
requests
• 90 million users
• 30 datacenters worldwide
• 7M+ malicious destinations
enforced concurrently at the
DNS-layer
