Delivering Secure Connectivity Across Healthcare Without Increasing Costs

LEADING UK HEALTHCARE PROVIDER DELIVERS SECURE CONNECTIVITY WITHOUT INCREASING COSTS

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Summary

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This leading UK healthcare provider supports thousands of employees across hospitals, community sites and temporary mobile locations, while operating under the financial pressures facing the healthcare sector.

Background

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This leading UK healthcare provider supports thousands of employees, from clinicians and operational teams to remote workers. They work across hospitals, community sites and temporary mobile locations, all under the financial pressures facing the healthcare sector.

INDUSTRY: Healthcare
REGION: UK
EMPLOYEES: Thousands
SITES: Hospitals, community and mobile sites

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CHALLENGES

• Protecting users from web-based threats
• Rapidly enabling secure remote access to critical applications
• Reducing the cost of connecting smaller and temporary sites
• Improving visibility and control across all network traffic

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SOLUTIONS

• Secure Web Gateway
• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
• Site-to-site cellular connectivity

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RESULTS

• 7-day deployment of Zero Trust Network Access
• 10x reduction in connectivity costs for smaller and mobile sites
• Consistent protection against malicious web content, regardless of location
• Support for cost-saving objectives without compromising security

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THE NEED FOR SECURE ACCESS WITHIN TIGHT BUDGETS

Our client needed to improve secure access for thousands of employees while operating under the financial pressures facing the healthcare sector. They were expected to deliver 2% annual efficiency savings. Every technology investment had to show both improved security and measurable operational value.

The challenge was broader than replacing individual technologies. Clinicians, operational teams and remote workers all needed secure access to the systems and data they rely on to deliver patient services. That had to work whether they were in a hospital, a community site or a temporary mobile location.

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INTRODUCTION OF SECURE WEB GATEWAY, ZTNA AND CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY

We delivered a secure connectivity programme built around three complementary technologies. Together they gave users a consistent security model, regardless of where they worked.

The first step was to strengthen internet security with a cloud-based Secure Web Gateway. This allowed our client to inspect internet traffic in real time. It also blocked malicious websites and phishing attempts before they reached users, and applied consistent web security policies across all managed users. Rather than relying on location-based protection, users received the same level of security wherever they worked.

Our client also had an urgent requirement to give teams delivering critical projects secure access to internal resources. We designed and deployed a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution in just seven days. Instead of extending broad network access through traditional VPNs, users were connected only to the specific applications and data they were authorised to use. This reduced both complexity and security risk, and the projects continued without delay.

Many community and mobile healthcare sites relied on expensive broadband connections that offered limited visibility into network traffic. We replaced these with cellular networking devices that connected directly into our client’s existing MPLS network. Connectivity cost roughly 10x less than the previous broadband services. Our client also gained full visibility of traffic across remote sites, consistent security policy enforcement, and faster deployment for temporary and mobile sites.

Together, these changes helped our client modernise secure access while supporting its wider efficiency objectives. For healthcare organisations, security and cost efficiency can no longer be treated as separate objectives. The programme reduced risk, delivered measurable operational efficiencies and improved the experience for staff across every location.

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