While different from traditional forms of insurance, cybersecurity is another important form of insurance. Even if you have the best business policy, the best group insurance and even protection from unexpected business events, you could still be at risk if you do not have the appropriate measures in place for cybersecurity. In a digital age, it’s more important than ever to make sure that your cybersecurity is up to par.
What is Cybersecurity?
Chances are, you’ve heard of cybersecurity, but you may not understand what it is. Cybersecurity is a broad term that encompasses securing digital data and products. It can be anything from protecting sensitive data on a computer system to protecting the hardware that makes up that system from theft. It’s important to not only protect the physical hardware that you have in your office but also the data that’s included with this hardware. While cybersecurity has certainly become increasingly popular in the past decade or two, it has been a necessity ever since businesses began using computers.
Perhaps one of the most important reasons to make sure that your cybersecurity is sufficient is the risk of cyber attacks. Everyday, there are significant cyber incidents that could put data at risk of being compromised. Businesses that do not have appropriate cybersecurity measures in place could be responsible for the results of the breach in data.
Cybersecurity for Small Businesses
It’s not uncommon to hear about data breaches when it involves a large company, but those businesses are not the only ones that need to worry about cybersecurity. Small businesses around the country could be putting their clients’ or patients’ information at risk each time they use a system that is not properly secured. Small businesses may even be more susceptible to cyber attacks because they do not have the same resources that large corporations have.
Almost every small business uses the internet in some way. Whether you’re processing payments, keeping records, or simply using it for your day-to-day tasks, anything that you do online could put data at risk. In a world that’s mostly digital, it’s essential to protect this data. Small businesses should be thinking about cybersecurity because it can impact the relationship they have with their clients. As a practice owner, you need to make sure that your relationship with your patients is the best it can be and that means taking care of any potential risks to their data or information. When you make cybersecurity a priority for your patients, you show that there is value in the relationship.
Additional Cyber Considerations
As a professional, you may have additional cyber considerations that will require you to make sure that you are fully protected. Orthodontists and healthcare professionals are held at an extremely high standard because of HIPAA requirements while veterinrarians must take care to protect data in their practice.
Veterinarians and orthodontists have extremely sensitive information including healthcare records, social security numbers, and even financial information. As a practice owner, you must make sure that you are taking all the steps necessary to protect this information. If the data is anywhere on your equipment, you should have a cybersecurity plan in place to protect it.
Even if you’ve taken steps in the past — like installing anti-virus programs on your computers — you must make sure that your security measures are up to par with current standards and can work against the most common modern security risks.
Basic Cybersecurity Protection
When you’re considering the cybersafety of your business, you’ll need to make sure that you are first focusing on the hardware that you have. Are your computers in a secure location? How about any tablets or cell phones that are used for your practice? Make sure that they are physically secured as well as password-protected. You should also make sure that you are using software that protects — and in some cases, encrypts — information so that your patient information is not at risk.
Perhaps one of the most important things to do to help mitigate cybersecurity risks is ensuring your staff is educated about the risks that you face everyday. It’s a good idea to not only teach them about the importance of cybersecurity but to also teach them about the consequences of not making it a priority. Keep cybersecurity as an ongoing conversation topic and make sure that you keep your staff aware of risks.