The healthcare sector has been under attack recently with the WannaCry security breach that affected the NHS in May 2017. Holding sensitive patient data means healthcare practices are a key focus for Cyber criminals. Is your practice ready for an attack? What are you doing to minimise the risk?
The views expressed in this article are specifically those of All Med Pro Insurance. This does not constitute advice and advice should be sought in all instances before acting on it.
How vulnerable is your practice?
Cyber criminals are professional at finding weak points in a business framework. They prey on the vulnerable and whilst large organisations such as the NHS are more lucrative for Cyber hackers, essentially no-one is immune, as all data holds some value on the dark web.
It is vital these days, as we move into an ever-more digital landscape, that you are assessing how vulnerable your practice is to be the target of an attack. This then allows weaknesses to be addressed in advance of a disaster happening.
When is comes to Cyber crime, protecting your valuable data and systems also means protecting your business reputation.
Assess your vulnerability by asking these questions:
- How safe is your data?
- Where is your data stored?
- Is any cloud storage a safe solution?
- Do you ensure to take regular data back-ups?
- Are back-ups kept off-site?
- How available is your data?
- Are passwords restricted to key members of staff?
- Same for pin codes and alarm codes?
- Do you give different access rights to different members of your team, based on seniority, experience and trust?
- Does everyone in your team really need access to medical records?
- How up-to-date is your data?
- Are your IT systems regularly maintained?
- Is your security software sufficient?
- Do you have support from an reputable IT company that can give sound advice?
- Are your team trained in Cyber security?
Minimise your risk of a Cyber attack
Business owners are becoming more aware of the importance of Cyber crime.
In a recent survey as part of the National Cyber Security Programme, 74% said Cyber security is of high priority.
Based on the survey, 85% of businesses had a website, an increase of 8% since 2016. Also, 59% used cloud services, compared to 49% the year before. These factors alone affect the risk of Cyber crime along with the fact that 61% of businesses hold their customer data electronically.
In the year to February 2017, just under 50% reported at least one security breach.
To reduce your risk, ensure:
- Your security systems are up to date
- Your security systems are robust
- Your team are being trained in Cyber risk
- You have someone responsible for Cyber risk management
- Your practice has insurance in the event of a disaster
Cyber Insurance
Even with the securest of systems, there is still a risk of security breach. It just depends how good the hackers are compared to the software developers that create the security systems.
The number of businesses taking out Cyber Insurance is increasing. Look for a policy that covers:
- Patient compensation
- Your patient’s legal fees
- Payment of statutory fines
- Hardware replacement costs
- Data Corruption & Reinstatement Costs
- Liability Cover for Affected Third Parties – e.g. patients
- Cyber Financial crime
- Data – Breach Expenses
- Loss of Gross Revenue
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Dental & Medical Financial Services work alongside many healthcare specialists to give you access to the best advice.
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