Ways to Improve your Chiropractic Clinic Security
As massive corporations continue to grow, it’s sometimes hard to imagine that a small, local business would have the same threats. In my mind, if I’m going to rob a business wouldn’t I want to target the ones with all the money? I’m not saying small business owners aren’t successful but it’s usually at a different level than a major multi-million/billion dollar enterprise. I did some investigating and discovered that according to the NFIB.com 71% of all cyber attacks are on small businesses. Part of the reasoning is that a lot of small businesses are not equipped to deal with the fall out from an attack. It takes financial resources for lawyers, enough capitol to wait out the storm and the money to rebuild both online and/or the actual facility.
Especially as chiropractors, we need to be vigilant in protecting electronic health records. There is more to it than that, we need to be able to protect our on-line assets as well as the brick and mortar.
Keep reading to learn about some of the top ways we can protect our chiropractic offices.
Online:
We have personal and business bank accounts, savings, retirement, emails, patient records, etc. so here are some ways to secure up in cyber land.
Secure your WIFI …what does that mean exactly? Well this is what my friend Google had to say:
“Use a secure WPA password
Check for rogue WI-FI access points
Provide a separate network for guests
Hide your network name
Enable MAC authentication for your users
Use a VPN”
Encryption…is a process that encodes a message or file so that it can be only be read by certain people.
Firewall…. Make sure all company devices are up to date with the latest software, antivirus protections and firewall protections.
Passwords…Teach your employees what constitutes a strong password and require that they use strong passwords for any and all work devices and accounts. Plus always a good idea to not use the same password for everything.
Employees…limit who has access to protected information and once they no longer work for you delete their access.
Brick & Mortar
Check it out… do a building check before and after work. Walk around the perimeter inside and out and make sure nothing seems amiss.
Cameras… I’m not sure about cameras in adjusting rooms but in hallways, front and back doors, the waiting room, etc. I like Arlo, they are easy to set-up, the app is user friendly and it’s very simple to login on your tablet and/or phone and check out whats going on.
Keys…Distribute as few keys as possible to employees and keep track of who has Once they leave the company, make sure you get the key back or have the locks re-keyed.
New Doors, Windows & Locks…reinforced steel, wood doors, fancy commercial- grade locks, heavy duty window locks or bars on the windows will all help reduce an attempted break-in. Plus don’t forget to do the same for the inside where protected information or expensive equipment is housed.
Break out the Shredder…always be sure and shred confidential information. My favorite way to do it is by sending it a company who does shredding so that way there is mishap in accidentally leaking private information.