Healthcare data is always vulnerable, but this is especially true during the holiday season.
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There is a large spike in cyber attacks during November and December.
So how can you safeguard your protected health information (PHI)?
- If you allow employees to work from home, make sure that the device they are using is secure and you are able to remotely shut down the device.
- Train your staff on phishing, cyber security, and breach readiness before the holidays. There are a lot of phishing emails targeting holiday consumers. Your staff must be aware of the threats and ramifications of clicking a phishing email.
- Make sure your inventory of devices is up to date. While your inventory should always be updated as staff get new devices, it is essential that this is done before employees work remotely over the holidays.
- Make sure your staff is able to follow your breach readiness plan, even if some employees are gone or unavailable during the holiday season. If certain staff are critical to data security, make sure they will be available and/or have critical staff train others prior to leaving on vacation.
- Know your vulnerabilities. Make sure your HIPAA risk assessment is up to date, your staff are trained, and all know to follow the policies and procedures of your practice.
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