- Set strict policies for old records and information removal to decrease the risk of a security breach. Highly sensitive patient information, records, hard drives, etc. needs to be discarded safely. If this information happens to fall into the wrong hands, the results could be disastrous. Furthermore, keep physical documents and patient information locked, and keep the keys in another location.
- Make sure your website is safe. Again, we often think “Who would want to hack my website, there’s nothing significant about it!” However, it is the server that your site runs on that is an invaluable resource to hackers. They can access your email, send spam to your clients and visitors of your website, and damage your reputation.
- Encrypt all devices, especially those you may use to take before and after photos. You don’t want these photos out as it could be damaging to your reputation. Also make sure all data is wiped from those images, especially if you are posting them online. Just blacking out the name doesn’t mean their identity is securely protected.
- Password protect all information on devices, and when sending certain documents.
- Make sure your internet network is also password protected. If someone can hack into your network, they can access almost everything that you do on that network. If you use Wifi hotspots or an at-home network to access any information, make sure those are password protected and secure as well.
- Have a good emergency response plan in place in case something happens. You’ll want to be able to respond quickly, and minimize damages.
The biggest risk in cyber security is not being aware of its dangers and not protecting yourself. A security breach can be prevented with simple precautions and can ultimately save your practice. A security breach can damage your reputation, can be costly, and can take down a practice, so make sure you are prepared and proactive.