3 Cyber Threats That Can Shut Down Your Dental Practice
Cybersecurity problems are increasing day by day across the globe. Recent sources suggest that over 93% of healthcare organisations experienced a security breach of some sort in the last five years. With such high statistics, it is safe to say that there is a strict need to prevent this problem.
Many dental practices are also facing this problem consistently, compelling patients to rely on methods with caution. However, if these cases keep rising, there is a high chance of people pausing their visits to your practice. Let us check the three worst cyber threats that can shut down even a massively running dental practice.
3 Cyber Threats That Can Shut Down Your Dental Practice
Ransomware
In recent times, ransomware attacks have become a common problem globally. This is malicious software that can breach your data by first barricading your access to the system and then threatening to disclose your sensitive data. For dental practices, this can be a massive problem.
When such problems begin to attack your system, it will not just put your data at risk but also disrupt your relationship with clients and your overall reputation. When clients realise that their confidential data has been misused due to your dental clinic’s negligence, you may fall into a severe problem. Above all, clients will stop turning to your company for their dental problems, and your company will be forced to shut down.
Today, two types of ransomware stages, called extortion ware and doxware, have become the worst attackers of the same. Many cyber ransomware attacks have been recorded in the past years to prove this point. When the data is stolen, most of them are sold by hackers on the dark web. Such money becomes a part of the cyber black money market that can lead your dental practice into serious trouble.
For example- a recent attack occurred in the Southeastern Minnesota Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery where 80,000 patients’ records were attacked. People still do not know whether the ransom was paid back then or the team could restore the server.
Hackers
Today, the world is full of hackers who use diverse malicious software and several other illegal tactics to hack your computer system and threaten you for lump sum profit. These people are criminal computer programmers who can decode your system’s passwords and steal all your confidential data in return for lump sum money. When you fail to help them make a profit, they may even threaten you with your sensitive data. For dental clinics, this can be highly hazardous.
These hackers design spyware systems and use diverse exploitative methods to use your network and techniques for their purpose. They are merciless and may compel your company to shut down right away. That is why it is essential to invest in proper password systems and locks to avoid getting in contact with them or allowing them to spy on you.
Today’s hackers are intelligent and well-equipped with the various security tools available in the market. That is why there is a growing need to use more protective tools to help your dental clinic stay safe and keep all patients’ data protected.
Here of some of the technique’s hackers use to do the trick-
- Crack password to retrieve confidential data and access your system.
- Use rootkits that function to gain control over your operating system.
- Keylogging tools are responsible for recording every tool on the infected device.
- Vulnerability scanning to catch hold of your device’s weakness.
- Trojan horses that open a backdoor to your IT system.
Phishing
Phishing is another hands-down cyber threat to almost everyone across the globe. It is a malicious system that helps hackers extract personal information via deceptive emails and links to various dangerous websites. So, the system works so that it sends a fraud link to people and attracts them to open them. Once they do that, their plan gets exposed to these people, and their links are at stake. In 2019, around 65% of companies were exposed to this problem.
Thus, dental clinics are at potential risk of losing their data and keeping them at stake. They may even risk their potential clients, which can compel them to shut down their likely dental practice in minimal time. These phishing systems may land in a dentist’s inbox that various people may disguise. Thus, you have to be very careful about everything that you do.
The Bottom Line
Your cyber safety is exceptionally crucial to maintain the utmost security for your patients. It will help preserve your reliability with them and make them keep coming back to you for more. SO, make sure you invest in the right tools for eg. a cloud dental software to prevent this problem forever. So, why keep waiting? Make sure you buy the best safety tools now to protect your data.
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