Managed IT for Modern Dentistry

Dental IT cybersecurity protects dental practices and patient data from cyber threats, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information.

Cybersecurity is an essential part of running a modern dental practice for many reasons, primarily:

• Cybercriminals are after your valuable data. Dental practices store a wealth of patient information, including personal, financial, and health records. Cybercriminals seek, steal, and sell this data on the dark web for a considerable profit.
• Cybercriminals assume you have limited protection. If you’re a small dental practice, you may not have the resources to invest in robust cybersecurity measures, which makes your computer system easier to infiltrate and an even more tempting target.
• Cybercriminals target your team. Your employees may not have had adequate cybersecurity awareness training, making them susceptible to social engineering attacks like phishing.

The dental industry is vulnerable to many cybersecurity attacks and vulnerabilities. However, the top threats on the list are:

• Ransomware. Designed to hold entire computer systems hostage and render them inaccessible until a ransom is paid, ransomware is the most pressing cybersecurity threat to the healthcare industry. In 2019, a ransomware attack took down the computers of more than 400 dental practices across the U.S.
• Phishing. All it takes is one successful phishing attack against one of your employees to take your practice down. Phishing attacks involve tricking employees into revealing sensitive information or performing actions like clicking a malicious link or downloading an infected file, which can lead to data breaches and unauthorized access.
• Insider Threats. Your clinic’s most prominent cybersecurity threat could be on your payroll. Insider threats are employees or contractors who intentionally or accidentally compromise data security. This involves data theft, unauthorized access, or sharing of sensitive information.

Dental practices can protect their operations, data, and patients from the devastating impact of cyber attacks by implementing key cybersecurity measures like:

• Implement Strong Access Controls. Ensure that only authorized users can access patient records and sensitive data. Use strong, unique passwords and consider using multifactor authentication (MFA).
• Regular Cybersecurity Awareness Training. Train your clinic staff to recognize phishing attempts and other social engineering attacks. Educate them on cybersecurity best practices and the importance of data security.
• Regular Data Backups. Conduct regular backups of patient data and critical systems. Ensure backups are stored securely and can be recovered quickly in case of data loss or ransomware attacks.
• Security Policies and Procedures. Develop and enforce cybersecurity policies and procedures within your practice to establish best practices and ensure compliance among staff.
• Engage Cybersecurity Experts. Consider partnering with cybersecurity experts or IT firms specializing in healthcare data protection to provide guidance and regular security assessments.