FemTech now plays a critical role in closing the long-standing gaps that have shaped women’s healthcare for decades. From fertility and hormonal health to menopause care and sexual wellbeing, these technologies are expanding access, improving autonomy, and supporting more personalised care experiences.

Yet with this innovation comes immense responsibility: safeguarding deeply personal health data. In an era of heightened cyber threats and privacy awareness, security and resilience have become fundamental to maintaining user trust. High-profile lapses, such as data sharing without consent or security breaches, have put the spotlight on FemTech, turning cybersecurity into a visible litmus test for credibility.

This article examines the evolving landscape of cyber resilience for UK and EU FemTech companies, including the impact of developing security frameworks on privacy expectations, as well as the growing demand for continuous cyber resilience, rather than one-time compliance.

Learning from Past Incidents: 

The importance of strong cybersecurity measures becomes clear when examining past security incidents in the FemTech space. Over the past few years, several high-profile cases have shown how failures in data protection can directly erode user and regulator trust. Learning from these events is critical for the sector’s future.

One of the most cited examples is the case of the Flo period tracking app. Despite promising to keep users' sensitive health details private, an investigation in 2019 revealed that Flo was quietly sharing users’ menstrual cycle data and pregnancy intentions with third-party analytics and marketing services, without proper consent or disclosure. The fallout was immediate: widespread media coverage, hundreds of user complaints, and, eventually, a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which required Flo to overhaul its privacy practices and obtain explicit consent before sharing any data. While this was a U.S. action, European regulators also took note, given the clear conflict with GDPR principles.

Flo was not alone. Investigations by Privacy International found that many menstruation and fertility apps were sharing sensitive information with Facebook, even when users had no Facebook account. Their research concluded that several apps failed to meet GDPR’s requirements for valid consent and transparency. Although many apps changed their practices following the exposure, the damage to public trust was already done, fuelling narratives that women’s health apps were "spying" on users.

Security flaws have also undermined trust. In 2016, a Consumer Reports investigation revealed that the Glow fertility app contained vulnerabilities that could allow unauthorised access to users' intimate information, including sexual activity, contraceptive use, and miscarriage history. Although Glow quickly issued fixes and later faced regulatory fines, the case showed that technical oversights in design and testing could be as damaging as deliberate misuse.

Other developments, such as employers offering fertility tracking apps to staff, raising concerns about workplace surveillance, and fears over period-tracking data being subpoenaed after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, have compounded mistrust. Even in the EU and UK, where GDPR offers stronger protections, users have become more cautious.

These incidents offer a critical lesson: once trust is broken, it is difficult to restore. The way forward involves not only securing systems but also proactively communicating with users, undergoing independent audits, and embedding privacy protections into the core of every product. Increasingly, FemTech organisations are realising that robust security is not just compliance, it's also a competitive advantage.

Cybersecurity Directives Shaping the Landscape

Beyond healthcare-specific regulations, broader cybersecurity frameworks are raising the bar across all sectors, including FemTech.

In the EU, the NIS2 Directive expands security obligations to essential and important entities, explicitly including healthcare services. Organisations must implement “state-of-the-art” cybersecurity measures, conduct ongoing risk assessments, and report incidents promptly, often within just 24 to 72 hours. Regulators are empowered to impose substantial fines and even suspend non-compliant organisations until full security compliance is demonstrated. For FemTech platforms, this means adopting rigorous access management, incident response plans, and continuous monitoring, all under board-level oversight.

Meanwhile, in the UK, reforms are underway to bolster cyber resilience nationally. he government has outlined a forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill (announced in the July 2024 King’s Speech) aimed at strengthening critical infrastructure and public services against cyber threats. Concretely, it plans to bring more entities and services into scope, such as managed service providers and data centres that support healthcare and other essential sectors. It will also give regulators enhanced powers: for example, the ability to designate certain high-impact tech suppliers as “critical suppliers” subject to the same duties as essential services​. 

Another focus is on supply chain security; operators of essential services, such as NHS trusts or potentially FemTech data processors for the NHS, will face stronger duties to manage cyber risks in their supply chain, including requirements for vetting suppliers, contractual security clauses, and continuity plans. The UK Bill also seeks to tighten incident reporting, likely introducing a two-stage regime (initial notification within 24 hours, full report in 72) similar to NIS2​. In short, the UK is aligning with the EU in declaring that timely reporting and active cyber risk management are mandatory, not optional. The Bill’s mantra is agility; it even includes provisions to allow the government to update security requirements via secondary legislation to keep pace with emerging threats or technologies. For UK FemTech companies, this means that regulatory expectations for cyber resilience will continue to grow, with increased oversight and greater accountability.

The EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), although focused on financial services, sets a powerful precedent: it demands continuous ICT risk management, regular resilience testing, and strict oversight of third-party providers. It also makes executive management personally accountable for operational resilience. While DORA doesn’t directly apply to health tech, its existence signals a broader regulatory philosophy: prove you can handle attacks and keep services running, or face consequences. Healthcare regulators in Europe are arguably heading in a similar direction. For instance, authorities have urged hospital and health providers to apply DORA-like rigor in supplier oversight and incident readiness, especially after several crippling ransomware attacks on hospitals.

The regulatory direction is unmistakable across the EU and UK: cyber resilience must be continuous, proactive, and demonstrable in real time

The Demand for Live Cyber Resilience: Users and Regulators Raising the Bar

The trajectory of both regulation and user expectations in this space points to one thing: “good enough” security is no longer good enough. Stakeholders now demand live cyber resilience, a real-time, ongoing state of protection and preparedness, rather than compliance checkmarks attained once a year. This shift is reshaping how FemTech companies must operate on a fundamental level.

From the user perspective, individuals are more informed and concerned about data security than ever. Women entrusting apps with their pregnancy plans or mental health logs are increasingly asking pointed questions: 

• Who can see my data? 
• What happens if the app is hacked? 
• Can I truly trust this service with something so personal?. 

Younger, tech-savvy users might look for cues of seriousness like two-factor authentication, transparency reports, or swift updates when vulnerabilities are disclosed. A security failure quickly becomes a reputational issue. As noted, security missteps in FemTech tend to “spill into public view” and can directly impact whether a product is recommended or used. Some apps have started offering features like periodic privacy reminders, easier data export and deletion options, and on-device data storage to empower and reassure users that their data isn’t being shared without their knowledge.

Regulators, for their part, are reframing cybersecurity expectations around continuous assurance. Both the EU and UK are moving toward models that require evidence of ongoing risk management and operational security effectiveness​. Notably, the NHS is adopting the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) to replace its previous static approach. What this means in practice for a FemTech firm is that during any serious procurement or regulatory review, you might be asked not just “Do you have a policy for X?” but “Show us how you monitor X in real time, and what your last 3 months of reports look like.”

For example, rather than simply having a written incident response plan on file, companies might need to prove they have executed a drill recently or have an up-to-date incident log. Rather than just stating that all data is encrypted, they might need to demonstrate how encryption keys are managed and rotated. Continuous compliance, backed by technical measures, is the emerging norm, effectively blurring the line between compliance and security. 

Embedding Resilience: Emerging Processes and Best Practices

Facing this evolving landscape, FemTech firms must adopt new practices to operationalise cyber resilience in day-to-day operations. It’s not enough to have a security policy on paper; resilience must be woven into the fabric of the product and infrastructure. Several key approaches are gaining traction:

Zero Trust Architecture:

Zero trust security works on the principle “never trust, always verify,” treating every access attempt as potentially hostile. For a FemTech platform, this means continuously authenticating users and devices before granting access to sensitive data like personal health records. Implementing zero trust might involve strict identity verification, least-privilege access controls (users only see the data they absolutely need), and network micro-segmentation to contain any breach. In practice, if a clinician or data analyst tries to access a fertility database, the system dynamically checks their identity, context, and device posture, even if they are inside the network. By assuming breach and verifying every interaction, zero trust can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access to women’s health data.

Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs):

To reconcile the use of sensitive data with privacy, organisations are turning to PETs: techniques that allow useful data analysis while protecting or anonymising personal information. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office explicitly encourages the use of PETs so that organisations can share and analyse personal data “safely, securely and anonymously,” harnessing its benefits without actually exposing the raw data​. Examples include federated learning (where an algorithm is trained across user devices so raw data never leaves the device) and secure multi-party computation. For a FemTech app, PETs could mean aggregating menstrual health insights or researching contraceptive outcomes without ever revealing individual users’ identities or sensitive details.

These technologies embody data protection by design, minimising the personal data collected or shared and thus greatly reducing fallout if systems are compromised.

Supplier and Supply Chain Risk Management:

No tech company is an island. FemTech apps rely on third-party libraries, cloud hosts, payment processors, analytics tools, and other vendors. Each of these relationships introduces a potential vulnerability. A cornerstone of cyber resilience is now rigorous supplier risk management, which involves thorough due diligence when selecting vendors, continuous security assessments of third parties, and contractual requirements for data protection. Recent regulations, such as NIS2, explicitly require essential service operators to address supply chain cyber risks, and the UK’s upcoming framework is likely to do the same. Practically, a FemTech firm should maintain an inventory of all third-party components (including open-source code) in its platform. It should vet these components for known vulnerabilities and have processes to apply patches or replace components when new threats emerge. 

If a FemTech app integrates with NHS systems, the NHS will expect assurances that, for example, the cloud database provider has the appropriate security certifications or that the AI algorithm supplier has undergone the appropriate due diligence. Supply chain resilience also extends to business continuity: if a key vendor experiences a cyber incident, do you have backups or alternatives to keep the service running? By proactively managing third-party risks, FemTech companies can avoid being blindsided by weaknesses outside their immediate control, a crucial step, as attackers often find indirect paths through less secure partners.

Continuous Security Testing and Improvement:

Ultimately, FemTech companies should adopt a mindset of continuous testing, regularly conducting vulnerability scans, penetration tests, and even “red team” exercises that simulate real-world attacks. The idea is to find and fix weaknesses before real attackers do. This practice aligns with the broader regulatory shift towards outcome-focused security: for instance, financial firms under DORA must periodically test their cyber defences under realistic scenarios​. In health tech, while not yet mandated across the board, similar expectations are growing. A FemTech platform might hold annual drills of its incident response plan (to ensure that if a data breach or ransomware hit, the team can respond effectively) or continuously monitor code for vulnerabilities. Resilience should be an ongoing journey focused on iteratively strengthening systems as new threats and technologies arise.

In summary, FemTech is moving into an era where cyber resilience must be visible and continuous. Compliance is evolving from a static, point-in-time certification into a dynamic process of constant improvement and verification. Users want to know, and deserve to know, that a platform is safe today, tomorrow, not just that it passed a test last year. Regulators are encoding these expectations into law, essentially requiring the same vigilance that one would expect for critical infrastructure. 

For FemTech firms, rising to this challenge means operationalising security in a way that’s sustainable: investing in skilled cybersecurity talent or trusted partners, adopting automation for threat detection and compliance reporting, and fostering a company culture that values privacy and security at every level. The payoff is not just avoiding fines or breaches, it’s the ability to genuinely secure trust in a domain where trust can directly influence health outcomes and user empowerment. By championing live cyber resilience, FemTech can ensure that technology truly advances women’s health without compromising the privacy and security of its users.

Building Cyber Resilience in FemTech with Naq

As cybersecurity and privacy expectations rise, FemTech providers need more than point-in-time certifications. They need the infrastructure to demonstrate continuous resilience and regulatory alignment across healthcare, consumer protection, and cybersecurity frameworks.

Naq was built to support this shift.

Designed specifically for digital health, including FemTech, Naq provides a single, powerful platform to manage multiple regulatory frameworks and security standards. From DSPT, DTAC, and DCB0129 for NHS integration, to ISO 27001, Naq consolidates all requirements into one secure, structured and scalable system.

At its core is a simple proposition: one platform to manage your compliance obligations, and expert guidance to ensure you're meeting them with confidence.

A Unique Combination: Platform + Expert Support

What sets Naq apart is its dual approach: a powerful platform that automates compliance workflows, paired with access to expert compliance professionals who provide clarity when it’s needed most.

With Naq, FemTech organisations can:

• Automatically generate and maintain key policies aligned to healthcare and cybersecurity frameworks
• Complete automated Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)
• Assign and track mandatory cybersecurity and privacy training for staff
• Maintain live asset and supplier registers, critical for managing supply chain risks.
• Monitor security and compliance controls with full audit trails
• Receive real-time alerts when regulations change or new standards emerge
• Add new frameworks seamlessly as you expand, whether entering NHS pathways, EU markets, or broader healthcare ecosystems.

Whether managing DSPT and DCB0129 today or planning for ISO 27001 tomorrow, Naq allows organisations to scale their compliance capabilities as they grow.

Continuous Assurance for a Sector Built on Trust

FemTech platforms operate at a uniquely sensitive intersection, managing deeply personal health data while facing intense public and regulatory scrutiny.

Naq supports this shift by enabling your team to maintain compliance as an ongoing process. Live monitoring, automated reminders, and process tracking help ensure you're never caught off guard, whether by an audit, a procurement review, or a sudden standards update.

The result is a compliance operation that’s not only more efficient and less resource-intensive but also more resilient.

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🗣️ What Our Customers Say

“The Naq platform is so simple, and everything is straight to the point – what tasks you need to do, policies you need to implement and training to roll out. It makes our lives easier. We feel very well prepared for our ISO 27001 audit.” K-Jo, Operations Manager, Oxford Dynamics

“What was really attractive to us was Naq’s blend of a platform and the support of having someone hold your hand through the compliance journey. We have met our NHS compliance requirements at less than half the cost of alternative routes. This has meant we haven’t compromised our product build or finances.” James Burch, Co-Founder, Decently

“As a fast-growing scale-up, we need to focus on business development whilst ensuring that we comply with regulatory and customer requirements. Naq has been instrumental in achieving compliance with ISO 27001 certification and shortening our sales-cycle.” Arnold Bowman, Co-Founder, Vormats

“Naq provided us with outstanding service to prepare us for and enable us to meet the complex cyber security regulatory requirements for the NHS. Their help was invaluable in improving our security posture and capabilities. Expert advice and brilliant support.” Edward Jack, IT Manager, Incision

Book a Demo

If your organisation is seeking a more effective and scalable way to manage compliance across multiple frameworks, we invite you to book a demo with our team.

In 30 minutes, we will provide a clear overview of your current obligations and demonstrate how Naq’s platform and expert support can streamline compliance, reduce risk, and provide ongoing assurance as your organisation grows.

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