How to Keep Your Dental Office Safe from Cyberattacks

According to Irdeto, 43% of all healthcare data breaches are caused by malicious or criminal attacks, and Ponemon Institute’s 2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study found that the average cost of a data breach for companies in the US is now $7.91 million. That’s a lot of money to pay for something that could have been prevented in the first place. So how can you protect your dental office from becoming a victim of a cyberattack?

There are many ways to keep your dental office safe from cyberattacks, but here are seven of the most important:

1. Educate your staff on cybersecurity risks and best practices.

Your staff should be aware of the dangers of clicking on links in emails from unfamiliar senders, downloading attachments from unknown sources, and sharing sensitive information online. They should also know what to do if they suspect that their computer has been compromised or they receive a suspicious email.

2. Implement strong security measures.

Make sure your dental office has up-to-date antivirus software and a firewall in place. Employees should use unique passwords for each account they have and those passwords should be changed regularly. You should also consider investing in encryption software to protect sensitive data.

3. Have a plan in place for dealing with cyberattacks.

In the event that your dental office is attacked, it’s important to have a plan in place for how to deal with the situation. This plan should include who to contact, what steps to take to contain the damage, and how to restore any lost data.

4. Keep your software and systems up to date.

One of the best ways to protect your dental office from cyberattacks is to make sure that all of your software and systems are kept up to date. Attackers often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software to gain access to systems, so it’s important to ensure that everything is up to date and patched.

5. Backup your data.

In the event that your systems are breached, it’s important to have a backup of all your data. This way, you can restore anything that was lost or damaged in the attack.

6. Monitor your systems for unusual activity.

If you suspect that your dental office has been attacked, it’s important to monitor your systems for any unusual activity. This can help you identify the attack and take steps to contain it.

7. Seek professional help.

If you’re not sure how to protect your dental office from cyberattacks or you suspect that your office has already been attacked, seek professional help. An managed IT service provider can help you implement strong security measures and develop a plan for dealing with attacks.

Cyberattacks are a serious threat to dental offices, but they can be prevented with the right precautions. By educating your staff, implementing strong security measures, and having a plan in place, you can keep your dental office safe from attackers.