Keeping data secure is essential for operating an efficient 21st-century dental practice. On this episode of Talking With the Toothcop, I speak with 3 top professionals from CentriServe IT Dental Solutions – Matt Stafford, Jack Wiley, and Jared Galovich. You don’t want to miss their insights on the importance of keeping data secure, how to train team members accordingly, and the best way to spend your security budget dollars. Be sure to listen!
Why do dental professionals need to worry about keeping data secure?
Dental professionals need to worry about keeping data secure because practices contain sensitive information that must be kept confidential. You are ultimately responsible for the data you collect on your patients, and you also need to protect your practice and team members. Keeping data secure is accomplished through a variety of steps, all of which are covered in full detail in this episode. Remember, the easiest way to handle a data breach is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Don’t miss this episode – your practice will thank you.
What is an audit log, and why do they matter?
The most common type of audit log tracks who logs into your computers, when they logged in, what files they accessed, etc. You can monitor this log for any unusual activity, and it’s an important asset in the event of an audit or data breach. Maintaining these logs and keeping them organized is critical in order for them to be useful in your practice. If you have audit logs in place and you do experience a data breach, your monetary fines will be much lower than a practice that does not utilize this technology. We discuss the benefits of audit logs in full detail on this episode, so be sure to listen.
4 main areas dental offices need to focus on in order to keep data secure
When you begin your data security process, you need to focus on these 4 main areas first and foremost:
- Training staff on security procedures
- Securely store your physical and digital data
- Maintain and update firewalls and digital security measures
- Limit data access points
These systems can be implemented for a few hundred dollars per month. Preventative measures are much cheaper than crisis fixes, and your practice will benefit from focusing on these areas. Be sure to catch the full details on this episode of Talking With the Tooth Cop.
Invest in THESE top areas to keep your data secure
If you only invest in two areas to keep your data secure, make sure it’s in a stellar firewall and secure communications for email and file sharing. Upgrading these 2 areas will place you years ahead of most dental practices, and it’ll keep the majority of your data secure. If you combine these two strategies with limiting data access control points and an off-site server backup program, your practice will be better set up for success.
Outline of This Episode
- [0:22] Top professionals from CentriServe IT Dental Solutions are my guests for this episode
- [3:30] Why should you care about data and login tracking?
- [13:39] What is an audit log?
- [19:15] The importance of selecting the correct communication channels
- 32:49 The top data security areas dental offices need to focus on
- [41:00] Invest your security dollars into these top areas
- [47:25] Considerations for antivirus and cryptovirus software solutions
Resources & People Mentioned
- CentriServe website
- Call the CentriServe IT team at: (469) 551 3144
- Email CentriServe
- Email Jack
- Email Jared
Connect With Duane
- https://www.dentalcompliance.com/
- toothcop@dentalcompliance.com
- On Facebook
- On Twitter
- On LinkedIn