The recent news stories about the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, which paid hackers nearly $5 million in ransom, may have prompted you to consider the potential impact of cybercrime on your practice.
We encourage you to take proactive steps to reduce your cybersecurity risk, because it is very real. Just within AAO leadership, some of us know dental colleagues whose computer systems were held for ransom that required payment of bitcoin to regain access. Long concerned about this issue, the AAO has compiled numerous resources to help members, including:
● Black Talon Security, an endorsed AAO program. Member practices can take advantage of discounted pricing for Black Talon’s cybersecurity one-time assessments, monthly cybersecurity services and HIPAA compliance services.
Black Talon also offers team training programs, the importance of which are described in this insightful article from Planet DDS. The publication explains the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ responsibility, in the event of a data breach, to conduct an investigation of your practice’s cybersecurity protocols and training. A key preventive step is ensuring that your team is fully aware of how easy it can be for hackers to send emails that appear legitimate but have links and attachments containing malware.
Cybercrime is extremely complex. Relying on your software vendor or your information technology manager or service to identify and address your risks is likely to be insufficient.
● Cybersecurity insurance under the AAO endorsed insurance umbrella. Consider Cyber Liability Insurance to help your practice recover in the event of a data breach, particularly if you maintain patient information electronically, collect online payment information or use the cloud.
Additional resources that may be helpful include:
● Education from the AAO On-Demand Catalog. Black Talon has provided cybersecurity webinars for AAO members and orthodontic teams. These lectures address ransomware and other cybersecurity crimes and how to protect your practice and your patients.
● Federal Trade Commission resources. The FTC provides a web page to help small business owners understand what ransomware is and how to protect their businesses.
