Breaches are becoming more common

Data breaches are on the rise in small, medium and large medical practices. According to HHS, the large majority of data breaches are lost or stolen laptops. Aside from that, there is human error, unsecured networks and in come cases, negligence. Medical practices know data breaches are on the rise, yet they continue to ignore some of the HIPAA laws that can keep them safe, secure, and protected.

Believe it or not, the Sony hack last November was a good wake up call for everyone. I’ve heard my clients say “If a network like Sony could get hacked, we can too”. It certainly created awareness if anything.

Data breaches are on the rise because hackers and thieves now realize that you have data in your office that they want. Social security numbers, dates of birth, etc. Identity thieves will pay good money for this information. Because of this, medical practices are now paying attention to network security and cyber insurance. This is more than a technology issue. It is a business issue.

In May, 2015, the Ponemon Institute put out a great blog on the rising cost of data breaches. Click here to view it.

Tier3MD is happy to evaluate the security of your network. If interested, please contact us at info@tier3md.com