Founding Partner & Director of Cybersecurity Advisory Services
Dr Saif Abed, MD
Dr Saif Abed is a UK-trained physician and one of the world's most widely quoted experts on cyber threats to national healthcare systems. He has served as the lead expert on cybersecurity for the World Health Organization's Biosecurity and Health Security Protection (BSP) Unit, and as an advisor to NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, the European Commission and HSE Ireland. He co-founded The AbedGraham Group in 2011.
- 100+
- Speaking engagements, including 50+ conferences and multiple keynotes
- 50+
- Press citations, BBC to Bloomberg; most prominent featured below
- 6
- Government & intergovernmental bodies advised
- 2
- WHO reports authored as lead expert, one presented at the UN Security Council
Advisory Roles
World Health Organization
Lead expert on cybersecurity for the Biosecurity and Health Security Protection (BSP) Unit. Lead author of two WHO reports on cyber attacks and disinformation in public health emergencies, convening collaborators from INTERPOL and multiple UN agencies.
Source: WHO announcement, February 2024
NHS England, Department of Health and Social Care & NHSX
Advisory engagements with England's national health bodies on cybersecurity and patient safety, including NHSX prior to its merger into NHS England.
European Commission
Independent expert to the Horizon 2020 programme, focused on healthcare and cybersecurity.
HSE Ireland
Advisor to Ireland's Health Service Executive on health system cybersecurity.
Research & Publications
As lead expert to the WHO's BSP Unit, Dr Abed was lead author of two major WHO reports, organising contributions from INTERPOL, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, UNODC, UNICC, UNICRI and the CyberPeace Institute. The findings of the first report were presented to the UN Security Council by the WHO Director-General in November 2024.
World Health Organization
Examining the threat of cyber-attack on health care during the COVID-19 pandemic
Lead author. Findings presented to the UN Security Council, November 2024.
26 January 2024 · Report PDF
World Health Organization
Understanding disinformation in the context of public health emergencies: the case of COVID-19
Lead author, in collaboration with INTERPOL and multiple UN agencies.
26 January 2024 · Report PDF
WHO Newsroom
Official announcement of both reports.
6 February 24
In the Press
BBC News · 28 December 2020
Health to be on cyber-security's front line in 2021
Dr Saif Abed has long warned that such an attack could kill a patient.
Financial Times · 25 June 2025
NHS cyber attack led to patient death
Told the FT he believed more patients had died in recent years than publicly reported.
Bloomberg · 6 August 2025
Hackers steal passwords from UK's NHS with sneaky malware tool
Bloomberg · 26 June 2024
Hacked UK trove includes data on newborns, cancer patients
The NHS has some of the best patient safety and cybersecurity standards in the world. They are just immensely poorly enforced.
Financial Times · 24 October 2024
NHS staff use WhatsApp “constantly” to share private patient data
From a data privacy and security perspective it is entirely problematic…
Digital Health · 9 October 2025
Cyber security expert calls for public inquiry into Synnovis attack
Delivered at the HETT 2025 conference, London.
Digital Health · 23 January 2025
Synnovis cyber attack caused two cases of severe patient harm
…likely just the tip of the iceberg.
Digital Health · 1 July 2026
More than 5,000 NHS Scotland data breaches since 2023
The NHS, unfortunately, lacks transparency with the public when it comes to the scale of data breaches.
Digital Health · 31 March 2026
Government considers use of break clause in Palantir NHS contract
Called for NHS procurement reform around DCB0129, DSPT and MHRA requirements.
The Telegraph · 5 July 2026
Russian hackers steal government logins
The Sun · 5 July 2026
Russian hackers stole UK government official's logins in major national security breach
This is exactly the type of hack that's the first step for launching catastrophic ransomware attacks…
The i Paper · 11 October 2024
UK Ambulance Services targeted by Kremlin-protected Russian hackers
The Times · 5 July 2026
Hackers breach Foreign Office systems with stolen logins
Financial Times · 21 July 2024
NHS hack prompts tougher UK cyber security rules for private providers
Dr Abed has been cited in more than 50 articles on cyber incidents affecting healthcare and government: the Synnovis pathology attack, NHS credential theft campaigns and state-sponsored intrusions. The most prominent coverage is below.
BBC News
Health to be on cyber-security's front line in 2021
"Dr Saif Abed has long warned that such an attack could kill a patient."
28 December 2020 · Gordon Corera
Financial Times
NHS cyber attack led to patient death
Told the FT he believed more patients had died in recent years than publicly reported.
25 June 2025
Bloomberg
Hackers steal passwords from UK's NHS with sneaky malware tool
6 August 2025
Bloomberg
Hacked UK trove includes data on newborns, cancer patients
"The NHS has some of the best patient safety and cybersecurity standards in the world. They are just immensely poorly enforced."
26 June 2024
Financial Times
NHS staff use WhatsApp "constantly" to share private patient data
"From a data privacy and security perspective it is entirely problematic…"
24 October 2024
Digital Health
Cyber security expert calls for public inquiry into Synnovis attack
Delivered at the HETT 2025 conference, London.
9 October 2025
Digital Health
Synnovis cyber attack caused two cases of severe patient harm
"…likely just the tip of the iceberg."
23 January 2025
Digital Health
More than 5,000 NHS Scotland data breaches since 2023
"The NHS, unfortunately, lacks transparency with the public when it comes to the scale of data breaches."
July 2026
Digital Health
Government considers use of break clause in Palantir NHS contract
Called for NHS procurement reform around DCB0129, DSPT and MHRA requirements.
31 March 2026
The Telegraph
Russian hackers steal government logins
5 July 2026
The Sun
Russian hackers stole UK government official's logins in major national security breach
"This is exactly the type of hack that's the first step for launching catastrophic ransomware attacks…"
5 July 2026 · Joe Mannion
The I Paper
UK Ambulance Services targeted by Kremlin-protected Russian hackers
11 October 2024 · Richard Holmes
The Times
Hackers breach Foreign Office systems with stolen logins
5 July 2026
Financial Times
NHS hack prompts tougher UK cyber security rules for private providers
21 July 2024
Speaking & Conferences
Dr Abed has delivered more than 100 speaking engagements, including over 50 in-person conferences and multiple keynote addresses.
HIMSS
Speaker & moderator: HIMSS global events
"Cybersecurity is patient safety."
HETT 2025
Keynote remarks on NHS cyber security and patient safety
London, October 2025
PrivSec Global
Speaker: privacy & security
6 August 2025
MSS Forum
Speaker: Managed Security Services Forum, Healthcare
Work directly with Dr Abed's team.
Cybersecurity audit, vCISO, incident response and managed security services for health IT vendors and healthcare providers.