2023 marks the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, where the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reminds us to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.
In celebration of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, ImagineSoftware’s VP of Information Technology, Anthony Brown, and ImagineSoftware’s Cybersecurity Officer, Christopher Conrad recently hosted an informational webinar educating healthcare professionals on ways to keep medical practices one step ahead from cyber attackers.
Watch the On Demand Webinar
Thrash Cyber Threats | Intelligently Disrupting Cybersecurity Threats in Your Medical Practice
Tune in to explore best practices to improve your cybersecurity methods, leveraging the latest technology. From cybersecurity training and phishing simulations to AI and data hosting, learn what it will take to formulate a robust risk management plan. Regardless of your team’s size, with the proper safeguards in place, your data can be protected.
"If we can prevent just one attack. It's a huge success." - Anthony Brown
Prepare Your Team
"In today's environment, if you don't have dedicated cyber security resources, you're even more at risk." - Anthony Brown
As cyber attackers are becoming smarter, it’s important to arm your team with proper training. Social engineering is at the top of the list in today’s threat landscape. “Social engineering is the tactic of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving a victim in order to gain control over a computer system, or to steal personal and financial information. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information,” states Carnegie Mellon University.
This means your employees are the largest target to be compromised. Routine training exercises help develop cybersecurity awareness across all members of your organization. One of the most effective education tools is simulated phishing/smishing attacks, followed up with education for those employees who took inappropriate action. Learn more about preventing such attacks by reading the Federal Trade Commission’s, “How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams” with key advice on how to recognize, respond, and report phishing.
"It's not enough to simply recognize the threat, we must also be proactive in defending against it. Cybersecurity is not a one-time fix, but a continual evolution of strategies and tactics to stay ahead of potential threats." – Chris Conrad
A key takeaway from the webinar conversation is the inevitable nature of cyber-attacks. The pair emphasizes that businesses are not just at risk of an attack but are constantly under attack. This necessitates the need for robust, multi-layered security measures.
Invest in Data Protection Tools
Implementing automation and AI technologies into your medical billing workflow has become status quo, helping to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats in real time. Automation fuels consistency, reducing the risk of human error that often leads to data breaches. In addition, AI delivers intelligent learning and adaptation, enhancing the identification of sophisticated attacks, even those that are unprecedented. This hands-free approach allows security teams to focus on strategic tasks while mundane and repetitive tasks are taken care of, thus boosting overall productivity. The amalgamation of automation and AI are paving the way for a more robust and resilient data security landscape.
Read More - Artificial Intelligence: Keeping Your Data Secure, Intelligently
A key advantage unique to AI and automation in the realm of patient data security is the capacity for 24/7 operation. These systems' ability to consistently monitor, detect, and mitigate potential cyber threats offers a level of vigilance that human operators could not maintain, providing a relentless layer of protection.
Implement a Robust Cybersecurity Plan
"We're trying to stack the deck in our favor, so that when we are attacked and when we are breached, we can recover extremely quickly. With the least amount of disruption to the business with the least amount of data loss." - Anthony Brown
With cybersecurity, it is not a question of “if” anymore. In today’s nefarious cyber environments, it is certainly a question of “when” because, even equipped with all the proper safeguards in place, cyber-attacks still happen. This is where the ability to recover quickly and with minimal data loss becomes vital. Having the right plan, approach, and team in place can save you unforetold time and business disruption when something occurs. These processes should also be reviewed and tested at least annually as the business, environment, and people change. Remember, this is not simply an IT or cybersecurity function, but must be a business-wide initiative with involvement and ownership from all stakeholders.
Read more from Anthony Brown’s cybersecurity knowledge in our blog, “Top 9 Cybersecurity Tips to keep your Patients’ Data Secure.”
"Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, our cybersecurity practices are only as effective as our least protected asset. It's our responsibility to ensure that every component, from the physical infrastructure to the human element, is fortified." – Chris Conrad
Want to learn more? Watch this webinar on demand: Thrash Cyber Threats | Intelligently Disrupting Cybersecurity Threats in Your Medical Practice