OMS / Dental Cyber Threats
SECURITY ALERT!
May 2024
The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) and the American Dental Association (ADA) have both issued bulletins that the FBI is warning of potential targeted cybersecurity attacks. While this current threat is focused on oral and maxillofacial surgeons, the FBI is concerned that the practices of general dentists and other specialists could also eventually be targeted.
What is Phishing?
Phishing is a type of cyber-attack where attackers attempt to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, or other details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in electronic communication. This can be done through various mediums such as email, text messages, or even phone calls.
How can you be proactive?
(1) Email / Attachments
Don’t use a generic free email account for any practice communication (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail), this inhibits your ability to comply with HIPAA encryption guidelines and increases your vulnerability to malicious phishing emails. Setup up all staff with their own secure practice email account.
(2) Passwords / Multifactor Authentication
Enforce strong password policies, including complexity requirements, regular password changes, and the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible. Prohibit password sharing.
(3) Software Updates, Antivirus, Firewalls
Keep all software, operating systems, and applications up-to-date with the latest security patches. Utilize firewalls, anti-virus scanning, and encryption.
(4) Training and Monitoring
Regularly evaluate and update cybersecurity policies, procedures, and technologies to adapt to evolving threats and vulnerabilities. Train employees on topics such as phishing attacks and best practices for password management.
At Dental Billing & Consulting Professionals, we make cybersecurity a top priority – after all we are a remote workforce. We never outsource our work and all of our policies and procedures align with strict security and HIPAA protocols. But even we can’t do it alone! We rely on some amazing partnerships to help us navigate the ever-changing landscape of data security. So, don’t hesitate to reach out to a trusted IT professional for help keeping your practice proactive and secure (and contact us anytime at (860) 435-7344 for a few great recommendations!)
Updated 05/16/2024
Official Notifications and Resources:
https://www.aaoms.org/news/cybersecurity-information-for-omss