Tag: #data

Keeping Patient Data Safe: Why Cybersecurity Is Important in Medicine

Like most areas of our society, health care has wholeheartedly embraced the boom of digital technology. Computerised equipment and ‘smart’ medical devices have revolutionised patient care, and looking back on the last twenty years, the sorts of advancements that have come about are nothing short of outstanding. 

Of course, it’s not perfect. As is the case with any infrastructure that relies heavily upon technology, there’s always the concern of cyber security. In this article, you’ll learn about the main considerations medical institutions need to make. 

On Data Breaches

Given the vast amounts of personal, sensitive data that hospitals and medical centres deal with on a daily basis, they’ve become a prime target for cybercriminals. 

Whether it be stealing patient medical histories, financial records, insurance details, bank information, and more, hackers frequently seek to target hospitals for the immense value this sort of data has on the black market for use in fraud and ransom schemes. 

Thankfully, hospitals have now started to employ rigorous encryption methods to ensure patients are protected.

The Risk Involved With Medical Devices

While there wasn’t much concern even ten years ago, the leap in technological advancements seen in medical devices has become a hot topic where cybersecurity is concerned. 

More and more frequently, implantable devices and screening equipment are connected to the internet as standard; this can offer very valuable insight for researchers, but it comes at the added cost of potentially compromising cyber security. 

Aside from the obvious worrisome issue of personal data being leaked, there’s the much more serious implication of hackers being able to interfere with the actual mechanisms of these devices – a very dangerous precedent for patient safety. 

Thankfully, companies like Blue Goat Cyber exist: they work to secure medical devices from a cybersecurity perspective before they even hit the market.  

Training and Awareness in Cybersecurity


When we’re talking cybersecurity, it’s mostly all about letting the latest technology do the work. That doesn’t mean to say that human intervention isn’t crucial, however. 

Over the last several years, hospitals and medical centres have placed a huge focus on training their staff on how to safely handle sensitive and private data. This sort of training includes cyber hygiene (how to keep data organised and properly dispose of information no longer needed), how to distinguish fishing from regular email, and what steps to take to appropriately damage control in the unfortunate event that an attack does happen. 

Protecting against cyber attacks in a medical setting requires tight collaboration, as it can only take one weak link to have everything fall down like a stack of cards. Software and hardware – if properly maintained – is usually always rocksteady, so human error represents a key area for risk mitigation. 

Wrapping Up

While data breaches and cyberattacks in hospitals may be a scary prospect, with rigorous testing, thorough staff training, and the use of the latest cybersecurity software and hardware, the risks can be managed sufficiently enough that there isn’t a major cause for concern. Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how this standard can be accomplished. 

Clinical Trials in Rare Diseases: Overcoming the Barriers to Recruitment and Data Collection

Conducting clinical trials for rare diseases presents unique challenges that differ significantly from those for more common conditions. With limited patient populations, geographical dispersion, and unique clinical presentations, the path to gathering meaningful data and securing enough participants can be difficult. However, advancements in digital technology, innovative recruitment methods, and collaborations with patient advocacy groups are helping to overcome these barriers. For patients with rare diseases, these innovations represent hope for new treatments and therapies, often where none previously existed.

Barriers to Recruitment in Rare Disease Trials

One of the most significant barriers to conducting clinical trials for rare diseases is the small patient population. By definition, rare diseases affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States, and many affect even fewer individuals. This limited pool makes it difficult to recruit enough participants to conduct statistically meaningful studies.

Geographical barriers also complicate recruitment efforts. Patients with rare diseases may be scattered across large regions or even different countries, making it challenging to bring participants to a central research site. Traveling long distances to participate in trials can be burdensome, especially for those who are already dealing with complex, debilitating conditions. Moreover, many rare disease patients may not be aware of the existence of clinical trials due to the limited public awareness and resources surrounding these conditions.

Additionally, the diversity of symptoms and disease progression patterns in rare diseases can make it harder to design standardized protocols that fit every patient’s experience. Researchers often need to adapt trial designs to accommodate these variabilities, but doing so can add complexity and time to the process. As a result, finding the right balance between inclusivity and specificity in participant criteria becomes a critical challenge. Utilizing clinical trial recruitment services can help address these challenges by connecting researchers with eligible patients more efficiently. These services also play a key role in minimizing geographic and logistical barriers to participation.

Innovations in Patient Recruitment

To address these challenges, technology-driven solutions are emerging to help improve patient recruitment in clinical trials. One such solution is Evidation, a digital health platform that uses real-world data to identify and engage potential trial participants. Evidation leverages data to find patients who may qualify for specific trials, allowing researchers to more effectively target recruitment efforts.

By using real-time health data and personalized insights, platforms help streamline the recruitment process, especially in rare disease trials where patients are often geographically dispersed and difficult to identify. This approach reduces the reliance on traditional recruitment methods, such as clinic-based outreach, which may not reach the full range of eligible participants. In turn, it increases the likelihood of recruiting a diverse, engaged, and representative patient pool.

Additionally, digital platforms help minimize the burden on patients by allowing them to participate in decentralized trials. Instead of requiring patients to visit a central research site, remote monitoring tools enable them to participate from their homes. This not only expands the geographic reach of trials but also makes participation more feasible for patients who might otherwise be unable to join due to travel or health limitations.

Addressing Data Collection Challenges

Data collection in rare disease trials can also be challenging due to the variability in disease symptoms and progression. However, innovations in wearable devices and mobile health apps are helping to collect real-time, continuous data, providing a more comprehensive picture of how treatments impact patients over time. These tools capture valuable information that might be missed during intermittent clinic visits, allowing researchers to track subtle changes in patients’ conditions that are critical to understanding treatment efficacy.

Patient registries and natural history studies are another valuable resource for rare disease trials. These databases collect information on patients with specific rare diseases, offering insights into disease progression and natural variability. By incorporating registry data into clinical trials, researchers can establish more accurate baseline measures and identify trends that may influence trial outcomes.

Collaborating with patient advocacy groups is another strategy that can significantly enhance data collection. These organizations are often deeply connected to their communities and can provide critical insights into patient experiences, challenges, and unmet needs. By involving advocacy groups in trial design and recruitment efforts, researchers can ensure that the trial reflects the real-world experiences of rare disease patients, leading to more meaningful and relevant data collection.

Conclusion

Overcoming the barriers to recruitment and data collection in rare disease clinical trials requires innovation, collaboration, and a patient-centric approach. The use of real-time monitoring technologies are transforming the way researchers identify and engage participants, making clinical trials more accessible to those with rare conditions. By embracing these technologies and working closely with patient advocacy groups, researchers can continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in rare disease research, bringing new treatments and hope to those who need them most.

 

Park Place Announces New Liquid Cooling Solutions to Cut Costs and Carbon Emissions for Ireland Data Centres

Park Place Technologies, the world’s leading global data centre and networking optimisation firm, today announces the expansion of its portfolio of IT infrastructure services with the introduction of two Liquid Cooling solutions for data centres: Immersion Liquid Cooling and Direct-to-Chip Cooling.

This announcement comes at a critical time for businesses who are seeing a dramatic increase in the compute power they require, driven by adoption of technologies like AI and IoT. This in turn is driving the need for more on-prem hardware, more space for that hardware, and more energy to run it all – presenting a significant financial and environmental challenge for businesses. Park Place Technology’s new Liquid Cooling solutions present a strong solution for businesses looking to address these challenges as the technology has the potential to deliver strong financial and environmental results.

Direct-to-Chip is an advanced cooling method that applies coolant directly to the server components that generate the most heat including CPUs and GPUs. Immersion cooling empowers data centre operators to do more with less: less space and less energy. Using these methods, businesses can increase their Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) by up to 18 times, and rack density by up to 10 times. Ultimately, this can help deliver power savings of up to 50%, which in turn leads to lower operation costs.

From an environmental perspective, liquid cooling is significantly more efficient than traditional air cooling. At present, air cooling technology only captures 30% of the heat generated by the servers, compared to the 100% captured by immersion cooling, resulting in lower carbon emissions for businesses that opt for immersion cooling methods.

Park Place Technologies can deliver a complete, turn-key solution for organisations looking to implement Liquid Cooling technology, removing the complexity of adoption, which is a common barrier for businesses. Park Place Technologies provides a single-vendor solution for the whole process from procuring the hardware, conversion of the servers for liquid cooling, installation, maintenance, monitoring and management of the hardware and the cooling technology.

“Our new Liquid Cooling offerings have the potential to have a significant impact on our customers’ costs and carbon emissions, two of the key issues they face today,” said Chris Carreiro, Chief Technology Officer, at Park Place Technologies.  “Park Place Technologies is ideally positioned to help organisations cut their data centre operations costs, giving them the opportunity to re-invest in driving innovation across their businesses.

The decision to invest in Immersion Cooling and Direct-to-Chip Cooling depends on various factors, including the specific requirements of the data center, budget constraints, the desired level of cooling efficiency, and infrastructure complexity. Park Place Technologies can work closely with customers to find the best solution for their business, and can guide them towards the best long-term strategy, while offering short-term results. This takes much of the complexity out of the process, which will enable more businesses to capitalise on this exciting new technology.”

Data loss and ransomware attacks among top cloud cybersecurity risks

A new survey from leading Irish IT managed services provider Auxilion reveals that data loss/theft and ransomware/malware attacks were the cybersecurity concerns most cited by IT leaders when it comes to the cloud – at 30% respectively.

The research, carried out by Censuswide and involving IT decision-makers across large enterprises in the Republic of Ireland, found that 40% of respondents see IT security risks as a main concern associated with adopting and managing cloud computing.

A similar proportion (42%) said that the changing cybersecurity landscape was one of the biggest obstacles to the successful delivery of their IT strategy. Moreover, one in four (26%) IT leaders in Ireland do not think current laws and regulations are sufficient to protect privacy, access, and confidentiality in a cloud-based environment.

Adding to this, almost a quarter (24%) of IT decision-makers surveyed who are currently using the cloud do not think their own organisation has sufficient capabilities to manage cloud computing and more than a third of those respondents admitted to having little or no visibility of their workloads in the cloud (36%).

Despite this, some 83% consider cloud to be a more secure approach for their organisation. It appears that IT leaders are being proactive in this area with 83% also having a cloud security strategy in place and 73% currently using a technology partner to manage their cloud strategy and services.

The study also found that the shift to cloud is set to continue with nearly all respondents (96%) expecting to migrate more workloads, applications, and processes to the cloud over the next 12 months.

On October 9th, Auxilion, HPE and Zerto will be holding an event hosted by broadcaster Ivan Yates to discuss the increased need for robust data protection, cloud security, and business continuity capabilities.

Donal Sullivan, CTO, Auxilion, said: “While the cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, organisations are facing an even bigger uphill battle at the moment with the rise of threats enabled by Artificial Intelligence and the introduction of the European-wide NIS2 regulation in October.

“This means businesses not only need to be more proactive when it comes to securing their data and responding to incidents, they also need to ensure that they are meeting their compliance and regulatory obligations. This requires the right technologies and partners that can support security, mobility and scalability.

“The truth is that in this day and age, resilience and recovery are as important as detection and prevention when it comes to cybersecurity. Businesses which fail to recognise this and adapt their strategy could be at risk operationally, reputationally and financially.”

Chris Rogers, Senior Technology Evangelist, Zerto, said: “Rapid recovery from a cyber incident is more than a reactive measure – it’s a critical component of a resilient and forward-thinking business strategy. The ability to swiftly bounce back from disruptions not only minimises downtime but also safeguards reputation, customer trust, and bottom line.

“The real competitive edge lies in turning these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation, and partnering with experts to unlock advanced cyber resilience capabilities can significantly accelerate an organization’s journey to cyber maturity.”

Dell Technologies Unveils Major Updates to Data Lakehouse for AI Adoption

Dell Technologies has today announced significant performance and connectivity enhancements to its Dell Data Lakehouse platform. These new enhancements are designed to accelerate AI initiatives and streamline data access, providing businesses with fast query speeds, expanded data sources, simplified management and powerful analytics.

The key features of the Dell Data Lakehouse v1.1 includes enhance performance, improve connectivity, simplified management and expanded accessibility.

Turbocharged performance

New Warp Speed technology and high-performance SSDs boost query performance by 3x to 5x through automated learning of query patterns and optimising indexes and caches allowing businesses to extract insights from data faster than ever before.

 Improved connectivity

Dell Technologies has enhanced connectivity options by securely connecting to an existing Hive Metastore via Kerberos for seamless metadata operations and improved data governance. The new Neo4j graph database connector is now in public preview, and the Snowflake connector has been optimised for efficient querying. Additionally, upgraded connectors for Iceberg, Delta Lake, Hive, and other popular data sources ensure faster and more capable operations.

 Simplified Management

Dell has streamlined operations with new features to ensure system robustness and security and Dell support teams can now easily assess cluster health before or after installation or upgrades, ensuring zero downtime. The system also sends critical hardware failure alerts directly to Dell Support for proactive handling. Additionally, optional end-to-end encryption for internal components is available to secure the Lakehouse.

 Expanded Accessibility

Dell has now introduced and offers a new 5-year software subscription option, complementing the existing 1 and 3-year subscriptions, to align hardware and software support terms. To meet growing demand, the Dell Data Lakehouse is now available in more countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Additionally, customers can now access the Dell Data Lakehouse in the Dell Demo Center and soon in the Customer Solution Center for interactive exploration and validation.

Speaking about the new updates in Dell’s Modern Data Lakehouse, Vrashank Jain, Product Manager – Data Management at Dell Technologies said, “Dell Data Lakehouse with Warp Speed sets a new benchmark in data lake analytics, empowering organisations to derive insights from their data more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Warp Speed unlocks the full potential of the Dell Data Lakehouse, paving the way for accelerated and budget-friendly innovation and growth in the AI era.”

To get a full, hands-on experience, visit the Dell Demo Center to interactively explore the Dell Data Lakehouse with labs developed by Dell Technologies’ experts. Businesses and organisations can also contact your Dell account executive to explore the Dell Data Lakehouse for your data needs.

iStorage, Global Leaders In Secure Data Storage Solutions, Introduces The Groundbreaking diskAshur3 Range With Advanced FIPS 140-3 Level 3 Compliant Technology

iStorage, the leading provider of hardware encrypted, portable data storage and cloud encryption solutions, are proud to announce the launch of their new diskAshur3 range. The new diskAshur3 range will be unveiled at InfoSecurity Europe, ExCel London on June 4th, 2024 on stand C45. Attendees can visit their stand to speak with iStorage’s data security experts and learn how to securely store and protect valuable data.

The new diskAshur3 range includes three products: diskAshur3, diskAshur PRO3, and diskAshur DT3. Each drive boasts advanced security features, including three encryption modes (patent pending), no preset PINs, and user-configurable PINs ranging from 8 to 64 digits. With capacities of up to 16 TB for portable drives and up to 24 TB for desktop drives, these devices provide unparalleled security with ample storage capacities. The new range incorporates all the essential features of other iStorage products such as ease of use, platform independence and tamper-proof sleek designs.

The diskAshur3 range is TAA compliant featuring FIPS PUB 197 validated AES XTS 256-bit hardware encryption along with Common Criteria EAL 5+ certified secure microprocessors, ensuring robust protection against unauthorised access. The diskAshur3 and diskAshur PRO3 are portable HDD/SSD drives with capacities of up to 5TB (HDD) and 16TB (SSD). The diskAshur DT3 is a desktop HDD drive offering the same level of security and high-capacity storage of up to 24TB.

Government Accreditation

The diskAshur PRO3 and diskAshur DT3 are amongst the first encrypted HDDs/SSDs pending the new FIPS 140-3 Level 3 scheme, demonstrating compliance with the latest U.S. government computer security standards for cryptographic modules. This certification aligns with ISO/IEC 19790 standards and represents the highest level of data protection and encryption.

High Capacity and Speed

The diskAshur3 range offers storage capacities of up to 24TB and data transfer speeds of up to 450 MB/s, surpassing the impressive speeds of the diskAshur2 range

No Preset PIN

With no preset PIN functionality, users must configure an 8-64 digit PIN before use, providing an additional layer of security to protect stored data.

John Michael, Founder & CEO of iStorage, commented: “Our new diskAshur3 range offers top-level security features, high capacities, and faster transfer speeds, making it the ultimate solution for secure data storage. These drives, with capacities of up to 24TB and pending FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation, are one-of-a-kind in the industry.”

He added, “With the rise in remote work, sophisticated ransomware attacks, and increased privacy regulations, organisations need to reevaluate their cybersecurity measures. Secure encryption and regular data backups are essential to prevent data breaches and ensure business continuity.”

In today’s digital age, data security is more critical than ever. The rise of remote and hybrid working, coupled with the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks, underscores the need for advanced data protection solutions. iStorage’s diskAshur3 range addresses these challenges by offering secure, high-capacity storage solutions that meet the highest industry standards, helping organisations safeguard their data against evolving threats.

See our latest iStorage reviews

 

Dell Technologies Introduces Multicloud Data Protection and AI Advances to Counter Increasing Cyberattacks

Dell Technologies is expanding its data protection portfolio of appliances, software and as-a-Service offerings to help customers strengthen cyber resiliency in the face of increasing cyber attacks.

With advances across the Dell Data Protection portfolio, Dell is helping customers build a modern and resilient foundation to protect data on-premises, in public clouds and at the edge. These innovations help address concerns raised in the 2024 Dell Global Data Protection Index (GDPI) survey, which revealed that 75% of organizations believe their existing data protection measures are unable to cope with ransomware threats. Nearly 70% lacked confidence that they could reliably recover from a cyberattack.

“With the exponential growth of data, generative AI (GenAI) presents organizations with opportunities to streamline processes, improve decision-making and drive innovation, but it also extends the attack surface for cyberattacks – especially with trained models, which are quickly becoming one of the most valuable assets for enterprises,” said Arthur Lewis, president, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies. “With this expanding digital landscape that exposes more vulnerability gaps, companies are increasing their reliance on Dell to help protect their data wherever it resides with trusted data protection and AI offerings.”

New Dell PowerProtect Appliances Increase Security, Performance and Efficiency

Dell’s new Dell PowerProtect Data Domain DD9410 and DD9910 systems designed for large enterprises to offer increased:

  • Performance for traditional and modern workloads, providing customers with up to 38% faster backups, and up to 44% faster restores
  • Security and cyber resilience for customer data
  • Efficiency, with up to 11% less power consumed  and industry-leading 65x deduplication
  • Scalability with up to 1.5 PBs of usable capacity in a single appliance

“With increasing cyber threats putting organizations on constant high alert, the demand for trusted high performance data protection systems has never been greater,” said Phil Goodwin, research vice president, IDC. “Dell’s portfolio of data protection solutions supports numerous data protection best practices to help organizations modernize their data protection environment. With major performance enhancements in backup and restore, we expect the latest PowerProtect Data Domain appliances to remain a key element of critical data protection and cyber recovery infrastructure.”

“We have been relying on PowerProtect Data Domain appliances to keep our data secure for over a decade and a half now,” said Rich Jackson, data protection architect, State of Michigan. “We have no doubts that the latest generation of appliances will continue to increase protection performance and the security of our data.”

Dell PowerProtect Data Domain systems are also at the center of a broad partner ecosystem, helping leading data protection software vendors grow their business while strengthening resiliency for their customers.

“Dell and Commvault have a shared belief that a strong foundation for resilience is absolutely required in the face of AI-driven cyber threats,” said Sanjay Mirchandani, president and CEO, Commvault. “Together, we are delivering industry-leading cybersecurity, performance, and efficiency to our joint customers. With a deep API integration between the Commvault Cloud platform and Dell’s latest PowerProtect Data Domain appliances, we can leverage the full strength of our combined cyber resilience, data security and rapid recovery capabilities to empower organizations to effectively mitigate risks and ensure uninterrupted business continuity.”

Increasing Productivity and Efficiency with Integrated GenAI Assistant

With the introduction of Dell APEX Backup Services AI, an integrated GenAI assistant for backup and recovery, customers can streamline protection processes. Dell APEX Backup Services AI helps address the growing demand for GenAI data protection, as evidenced by 52% of GDPI survey respondents who believe GenAI will provide an advantage to their organization’s cyber security posture.

Dell APEX Backup Services AI capabilities help users:

  • Request real-time custom reports, ask follow-up questions to refine report variables and act on AI-powered suggestions to remediate backup failures
  • Understand and improve their backup and security postures with assisted troubleshooting with simple written prompts, analyze logs, and troubleshoot errors
  • Use intelligent responses with recommendations and best practices customized to their specific environments
  • Simplify administrative operations, from creating new backup policies to triggering new backups of specific workloads

 Powerful Backup and Recovery with Storage Direct Protection Innovation

Storage Direct Protection in Dell PowerProtect Data Manager offers native integration with Dell PowerMax enterprise storage for fast, efficient and more secure backup and recovery to and from Dell PowerProtect Data Domain.

Storage Direct Protection in PowerProtect Data Manager for PowerMax delivers:

  • Fast backup and recovery of multiple storage arrays with up to 46TB/hr for a single backup and up to 21TB/hr for a single recovery
  • Efficient data protection of Dell PowerMax with full restore to original or alternate PowerMax system
  • Secure data integrity and optional cyber vault integration
  • Simple operations with centralized management and orchestration
  • Multicloud support for PowerProtect Data Domain replication and cloud tiering

Availability

  • Dell PowerProtect Data Domain DD9410 and the DD9910 systems are available globally
  • Dell APEX Backup Services AI is available globally
  • Storage Direct Protection for Dell PowerMax will be available globally in the third quarter of 2024

Mobile data usage surges during weekend events in Ireland

eir, Ireland’s leading telecommunications company, announced a milestone that they carried over 50 terabytes (TB) of data across its event mobile sites last weekend as a series of high-profile events took place across Ireland.

From the excitement of the Longitude Festival to the spectacular Taylor Swift at the Aviva and Shania Twain concerts at Malahide, the vibrant Dublin Pride Parade, the family-friendly Kaleidoscope Festival, and the iconic matches at Croke Park, eir’s network delivered seamless connectivity to thousands of customers.

To put this achievement in perspective, 50 TB of data is the equivalent of streaming 50,000 hours of video, which translates to non-stop watching for over five years.

On Sunday night, during Taylor Swift’s concert, twice as much data was carried over the eir mobile network compared to the Six Nations decider at the Aviva Stadium on March 16th, both of which were sold-out events. This highlights the significant difference in mobile data usage between Swifties and rugby fans.

Additionally, the data usage during the Taylor Swift concert was double that of the FAI Cup final in November and triple that of the Leinster versus Munster game in the same month. The surge in data usage was primarily driven by extensive video recording, sharing, and live streaming activities.

Fergal McCann, Chief Technology Officer at eir, commented on this achievement, stating, “The deployment of 5G technology and the addition of new mobile sites across the country have been crucial in handling the surge in data usage during these events. The Taylor Swift concerts alone showcased significant usage patterns, with fans live streaming and sharing their experiences. Compared to other major events like Six Nations games, the data usage was exceptionally high, demonstrating the growing demand for robust and reliable mobile connectivity.”

Ruth McGuinness wins Microsoft Power Women Award 2024

Microsoft has revealed that Ruth McGuinness, Head of Data and AI at Kainos, headquartered in Belfast has won the Microsoft Power Women Award 2024 in Ireland.

The Microsoft Power Women Awards are part of Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to inspire, promote and invest in a new generation of women tech talent. The awards shine a spotlight on some of the amazing women spearheading greater diversity and inclusion throughout the Microsoft Partner network.

In the second year of the awards, the programme expanded its reach covering Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with nearly 400 applications from exceptional women who have made significant contributions to technology, and diversity and inclusion.

McGuinness is a prominent leader in the field of AI, overseeing one of Ireland’s largest AI teams with 150 members generating millions of pounds annually through delivery of AI technology programmes in both public and private sector organisations across Ireland, the UK, Europe, and North America. Her focus includes developing AI tooling that is robust, explainable, and trustworthy and advocating for ethical AI adoption.

Passionate about bridging the gap between academic research and industry, McGuinness is also the primary industry partner of the AI Research Centre (AIRC) at Ulster University, supporting 100+ AI researchers in trusted AI applications. She also supports the development of more diverse AI talent as a curator of AI CON, Ireland’s largest annual AI conference, while being a strong advocate for the robust regulation of AI across other public forums, both local and international.

Accepting the award, Ruth McGuinness said, “I’m very grateful to Microsoft Ireland for honouring me with this prestigious award. It is humbling to be included among such an incredible and inspiring cohort of powerhouse women in the Microsoft ecosystem across Western Europe.

“I also welcome the opportunity of accepting an award for my career during a period of extended maternity leave with my second child – it’s great to see how much progress has been made in terms of gender equity despite how much more we need to achieve!

“Women face a multitude of barriers when trying to have children and a career. While we know that only 26% of technology roles are held by women, further data shows that women often then depart those technology careers at this important stage in their lives, due to inadequate parental leave benefits, expensive childcare systems and a lack of access to good quality flexible working.

“The IT industry needs to continue to do more, to not only attract, but also to retain young women, through ensuring job roles come with an inclusive culture, flexible working hours, flexible roles, equity and fairness.

“I feel passionately about the mantra that “you can’t be what you can’t see” and believe that elevating diverse role models for women – such as through Microsoft’s Power Women Award – plays an incredibly important role in empowering others coming into the industry” – said Ruth McGuinness, Head of Data and AI at Kainos.

McGuinness will join the other 18 winners at the Microsoft Women’s Leadership Program 2nd Edition, a customised programme developed by Professor Jennifer Petriglieri at the INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France.

Details of the Microsoft Power Women Awards can be found at: https://aka.ms/MicrosoftPowerWomenAward