Cybercrime – is this on your radar, or do you operate in ignorant bliss that this will ‘never happen to me’? As a practice manager or business owner of patient data, the threat of cybercrime is ever present. Only this year, the NHS made headline news when they fell victim – turning away patients and using pen and paper to take notes.
Could your practice be at risk of a cyberattack? We’ve asked Barrie Millett, Head of Group Security at Wesleyan Assurance Society, to share his three top tips on how to protect your practice and patient details from an attack.
Conduct a cyber security risk assessment
You may be under the illusion that your cyber security is impenetrable – so was the NHS. You need to have regular risk assessments to ensure that ‘there are no holes in your net’ and that you’re doing everything you should be to protect your patient data.
Ensure you have regular backups of your data
If you don’t backup your data you’re leaving your practice open to an attack. What would you do if all your patient records with personal details were there one day and gone the next? Panic I bet! Invest your time to schedule regular backups now, not only to protect your patients’ data, but for your own peace of mind too. If your patient data is at risk, you will be asked the questions about what measures were put in place to prevent the loss of this data.
Get ready for GDPR!
2018 may seem like a long way off, but there’s a lot of work to do before May, when the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect. This new regulation will affect all businesses, including dental practices. Failure to deal with ‘personal data’ correctly could result in mammoth fines…There is a huge amount of resource online through training courses and advice to help you prepare for GDPR, so ensure you’re fully-equipped for the changes!
There are many more things that you can do to ensure your practice is bulletproof from a cyberattack.