THE BIGGEST THREAT TO YOUR PRACTICE COULD BE YOU

Cyberattacks and security breaches are some of the scariest risks to your dental practice. That’s why we are here to share tips and recommendations to help you safeguard your network, patient data, and your practice. Most practices are aware of the danger that cybercriminals pose to their business and patient privacy. However, did you know the potential harm caused by regular, everyday human error is the most dangerous threat to your practice’s cybersecurity?

Here’s a look at some of the more common human errors that could put your practice at risk.

WEAK AND/OR REPETITIVE PASSWORDS

Weak passwords are easy targets for cybercriminals. Additionally, if one of your employees is involved in a data breach and they happen to use the same password across all their accounts, that could give cybercriminals access to your whole network of data including employee W2’s, patient data, and billing information.

EMAIL SCAMS/PHISHING

If just one employee isn’t paying enough attention to their email and falls for a phishing scam, it could expose your practice to a data breach or ransomware attack. Something like this could shut down your office(s) for days or even weeks.

Think about how much that could hurt your dental practice’s revenue and reputation.

SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES

An intentionally innocent photo posted to social media with PII (Personal Identifiable Information) or PHI (Personal Health Information) visible in frame could lead to a data breach or a HIPAA violation. Don’t let a poorly thought-out selfie to be the reason you have to deal with an onslaught of audits, HIPAA penalties, and compliance issues – not to mention lawsuits.

EQUIPMENT LOSS OR THEFT

Something like a lost or stolen phone could be detrimental if that employee used their personal phone for work. A hacker could use that hardware to break into your integral

systems that hold private patient and employee data. Not as easy to fix as simply replacing a smartphone.

TAKE THE FEAR OUT OF CYBER THREATS

All these missteps are unintentional, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan for them. Make sure that you’re giving your staff proper cybersecurity training and that you have a disaster recovery plan in place. Be vigilant in making sure no one on your team falls for scams.

Fortunately, at ProDental we help practices like yours prevent these sorts of threats/attacks from happening. We can help alleviate the fear surrounding your cybersecurity for your dental practice. We provide cybersecurity solutions, training, and HIPAA consultation to help protect your practice against cyber threats. This includes risk assessments & reporting, dark web monitoring, vulnerability scans, employee education, compliance training, and more. Take the fear out of cyber threats to your practice.

Contact us for a free consult and rest easier all 12 months of the year!