Cybercriminals have a strategy for accessing your systems and will try any way they can to break in and compromise your patient’s protected health information (PHI). That’s why it’s so critical for you to have a proactive cybersecurity strategy to protect your organization and your patients as much as possible.
Patch and Upgrade Your Systems
Patching is one of the most critical yet most mundane tasks in the IT world. It’s all too easy to fall back on the old adage “If it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it” but that is really bad advice where cybersecurity is concerned. Every day, hackers are finding new vulnerabilities in both current and older systems and are developing tools and processes to exploit those vulnerabilities. Older, out of date systems, have the most vulnerabilities and should be replaced as manufacturers will eventually stop developing patches for those systems. A prime example is Microsoft’s plan to move Windows 7 to end of extended support in January 2020 (mainstream support ended in 2015).
Regularly Assess Your Technology for Security Vulnerabilities
HIPAA compliance rules require you to perform a risk assessment annually but as we know, cyber criminals have a strategy for breaking into your systems and they do not rest. Testing the security of your network and systems is one of the best things you can do to make sure that the bad actors don’t find a way in. It is always a good idea to perform a security / risk assessment after any changes have been made to your environment. Change often introduces security risks and left unchecked, these risks are often exploited by cyber criminals.
Have a Proven Disaster Recovery Plan
A disaster recovery plan should be comprehensive, detailed and tested frequently. You can think of your disaster recovery plan in the same light as you view insurance. While you hope that you never need it, it can make all the difference in the world if you do. With the rise of ransomware and crypto-lockers, a good disaster recovery plan including offsite backups could be the difference between losing all of your data and going out of business and being able to continue providing quality care to your patients.
Have Peace of Mind with a Managed Service Provider
Being proactive is the best way to prevent or minimize damage done through cyber attacks, so contact us at info@nexa1.com today to get started on your cybersecurity strategy.
