Multiple threats are challenging dentists worldwide, including cybersecurity at this time. Cyberattacks have risen by 37% in one month, cited by Phil Muncaster at the Infosecurity Group. Hospitals have been experiencing international ransomware attacks from hackers taking advantage of the current situation. When hospitals are unable to access their data and applications, the treatment process -
Multiple threats are challenging dentists worldwide, including cybersecurity at this time. Cyberattacks have risen by 37% in one month, cited by Phil Muncaster at the Infosecurity Group.
Hospitals have been experiencing international ransomware attacks from hackers taking advantage of the current situation. When hospitals are unable to access their data and applications, the treatment process is delayed, thus putting patients directly at risk. Hospitals and other healthcare providers, including dentists, are particularly a high-risk group for ransomware, phishing, and cyberattacks. This week, we are doubling down on data security to make sure that your practice data is protected in this difficult time.
Educate Your Employees
Our last few blog posts mentioned using some extra free time as a chance to educate yourself and your employees on some important aspects of your practice, such as maintaining security. Ensure that anyone who accesses the company emails or social media outlets are very cautious when receiving any messages from unknown senders, particularly with enclosed links. Oftentimes it is best not to open emails and messages from unknown senders if they were not expected or seem irrelevant. If employees do open the email, reinforce that they need to be very sure any links can be trusted prior to clicking them. If you or your employees have suspicions about an email, it is likely in your best interest to delete the email and/or block the sender for your safety.
Have The Right Systems in Place
Take all measures to protect your practice’s data, and ensure your patients’ security. Best practices include having strong passwords and changing them regularly, such as every few months.
Being aware of the security measures that you should take if your data is threatened. For instance, mitigate the threat that ransomware poses to your practice by doing regular backups on your practice’s local server, or consider a cloud-based server that automatically backs up your practice’s data. This way, if your confidential practice data is infected, you can restore the information from your most recent unaffected backup.
Having a plan is key for bouncing back from a cyberattack quickly. Just like your practice has emergency evacuation routes for office fires, being prepared for a cyberattack puts you one step ahead of the potential hacker in the event it takes place. Unfortunately, during these unprecedented times, organizations are even more at risk because there are multiple safety concerns.
The switch to remote work has created an opportunity for cybercrime, but that can be combated with proper security measures and education to make sure any staff who is regularly checking emails or managing communications stay aware and alert.
We hope you are staying safe and healthy at home, and are using the resources available for yourself and your community at this time.
