Has your facility already been hacked?
You may think you are doing everything right when it comes to protecting your computer systems, but there’s more to it than just an antivirus and a firewall. These are important components, but will not protect your assisted living facility from hackers by themselves.
How can you tell if the cybersecurity you have in place is strong enough to withstand hackers? Well, you really can’t. But you can look at what your cybersecurity is doing and do your best to strengthen it.
You have weak cybersecurity if your facility has already experienced a breach, ransomware or data loss. Lightning may never strike twice, but in cybersecurity hackers always come back to their victims. Why is that? Hackers see their past victims as future targets.
In their eyes, your organization is an easy mark. They already have a playbook from the first time they attacked you; why would a second time be any different? Sometimes they even make back doors for themselves so they can make it easier to hack you again and again.
So, what can you do to make sure your facility isn’t hacked again? Start by looking at what you have in place when it comes to cybersecurity. Next, take a look at who you have running everything behind the scenes. This may be an absolutely amazing person, but could your facility benefit from a virtual Chief Security Officer? Not sure? Why not reach out and see what a vCSO can do to help protect your business from being hacked again.
Here are 3 simple steps any assisted living facility can take to determine if you are an easy mark:
Identify your critical data assets and sensitive data – what are the most important items in your facility when it comes to protecting your facility’s ability to services its residents?
Ask your IT team what steps have been taken to make sure this data isn’t stolen or damaged. Create a list of what they tell you. Ask how long it would take to recover from backups if that data were damaged.
Have a third-party review outside of your network for vulnerable services or easy ways attackers could get in. This is something that most cyber insurance companies require and is a easy indicator that you are target.
The key here is to find out more and ask questions. As the director of an assisted living facility, you are responsible for making sure your facility’s data is secure. Ultimately the buck stops with you.