Hey, it’s Jeremy from Ochsner Insurance, and welcome to Cyber Monday. We’re here to provide you with valuable insights into cybersecurity and cyber insurance, not to sell you stuff. Today, we’re focusing on the importance of protecting your medical practice from cyber threats. Let’s dive into it.
The Real-World Impact of Cyber Attacks
With the recent cyber-attacks affecting healthcare systems, including pharmacies shutting down and ambulances being diverted from hospitals, the consequences are severe. Just think, 140 hospitals across 19 states have been affected, and not all systems are back online even today.
So, what about you, the practice manager of a chiropractic office, a dental practice, or a small medical clinic? What are you doing to avoid these kinds of issues?
1. Implement Strong Cybersecurity Measures
Choosing the Right Cybersecurity Provider
- Who are you using and why? Ensure your provider has a robust cybersecurity stack.
- Early Detection and Response: What is their average detection rate? Are they effective at detecting intrusions early?
Understand the Threats
- Long Dwell Time: Bad actors can be on networks for up to 240 days before detection, sometimes nearly a year. They learn how you pay invoices, your passwords, and where your data is stored.
Using an MSP or IT Team
- Ensure your Managed Service Provider (MSP) or IT team is proactive in making your business cyber-secure.
2. Develop a Business Continuity Plan
Why It’s Crucial
- Large healthcare organizations like Ascension are likely executing their continuity plans right now. These plans are essential for managing risks and ensuring operations can continue during a cyber event.
A few Components of a Business Continuity Plan
- Backup Systems: Regularly back up your data, but more importantly, test these backups to ensure they can bring your systems back online.
- Risk Management: Plan for different scenarios and know what actions to take when an attack occurs.
3. Secure a Broad Form Cyber Insurance Policy
Some Reason Why You Need It
- Forensic Costs: The cost of investigating a breach is astronomical.
- Hardware and Data Recovery: Cover the costs of replacing damaged hardware and recovering data.
- Monitoring and Business Income Loss: Includes monitoring affected parties and compensating for lost business income.
What to Look For
- A comprehensive policy that covers various aspects, such as forensics, hardware damage, monitoring, and business income loss.
Conclusion
To keep your medical practice safe from cyber threats, follow these three essential tips:
- Cybersecurity: Build robust defenses with early detection and response systems.
- Business Continuity Plan: Prepare for disruptions with a tested continuity plan.
- Broad Form Cyber Insurance: Protect your practice financially with a comprehensive insurance policy. Here are some resources we have available to your practice, click here.
This is Jeremy Ochsner with your Cyber Monday. Thank you so much for watching. Here’s to your success and cybersecurity. Let’s make your business more cyber secure.
Thanks for watching!