More Common Myths About Cybersecurity

A few months back, we addressed some common myths about cybersecurity. But there is even more misinformation out there. So, let’s discuss more common myths about cybersecurity and how to combat them.

MYTH: All cyberattacks are immediately noticeable.

You may think you would know immediately if your practice experiences a cybersecurity breach. But many attacks, including Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are specifically designed to remain undetected while they gather your sensitive information. Using a combination of security measures can help: Regularly updating software and patch systems, and multi-layered defense can help combat any sneak attacks.

MYTH: If your data is backed up, you don’t need to worry about ransomware.

Even if your data is backed up, ransomware could still be a problem. Ransomware can also target backups. You can minimize the risk by using immutable backups, or write-once-read-many (WORM) storage. This protects backups from being altered or deleted by ransomware. Another consideration: If you are affected by ransomware, even if your system is backed up, that patient data could still be released and compromised.

MYTH: HIPAA Compliance guarantees security.

There are no “guarantees” when it comes to cybersecurity. HIPAA focuses on protecting patients’ health information. It establishes guidelines and indicates what safeguards should be in your practice. While it sets a baseline for requirements, it may not cover all aspects of cybersecurity. TILT Protect offers a Compliance Manager where we evaluate all the aspects of your HIPAA compliance, ensuring it is always up to date and as safe as possible.

MYTH: Physical security is not part of cybersecurity

Physical security is critical to overall cybersecurity. Physical breaches can lead to digital breaches. Therefore, it’s important to consider physical security as an important part of cybersecurity. Backup disaster recovery (BDR), device security and physical tampering detection are all important physical aspects of cybersecurity.

MYTH: All cybersecurity threats come from outside the organization

Not all cybersecurity threats are external. Disgruntled employees, or even employees that mean no harm, can be the cause. User error and improper training can add to this. Monitoring all employees and ensuring they are current on all cybersecurity protocols is important.

Were you surprised by any of these myths? It’s important to always have cybersecurity at the forefront of our minds. TILT Protect is your complete cybersecurity solution helping you keep your data secure and your practice functioning. If you’re interested in reviewing your HIPAA compliancy, you can find out more about that here. We would love to help you.