Most independent dental practitioners have their own practice websites, and chances are that you are one of them. Some dentists have installed customized software programs for more effective communication and data storage. Web based solutions and technologies have also evolved rapidly in recent years to provide improved storage, backup and access of data in comparison to client servers.
For instance advanced web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome have made browsing the web safer and more efficient. Improved encryption techniques such as 256 bit SSL deliver higher levels of security, and greater bandwidth enables deployment of better security measures.
While the online security environment is much improved today, you should still ask some pertinent questions to your service provider when signing up for a web service:
- Data Security: Where is your data being stored? What security measures are adopted by the provider to protect your data?
- Encryption: Is your username and password being encrypted? Is the provider using 256 bit SSL certificate for login?
- Data Backup: Does the serve take backup for your data every day, hour or minute? Is there a data warranty involved?
- Uptime: Is the availability of your website guaranteed at all time? What is the performance track record of the website?
- Privacy: Who is the unique owner of the data? Is the data that you upload on the provider’s servers accessible to any other party apart from yourself?
These are some of the fundamental questions that you must ask your service provider and gain clarity about the integrity and safety of your dental information online. If your website has been set up and managed by a professional dental website designer or developer firm, they will address these issues comprehensively on your behalf.
An experienced firm will create a HIPAA compliant website and implement robust controls to maintain security and data protection. Your dental website is online representative of your practice, and its long-term stability and security should be the paramount concern of your site administrator.
By Naren Arulrajah with Vikas Vij
About the Author:
Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete Internet marketing company which focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education and the online reputations of Dentists.
With a team of 130+ full time marketers, www.ekwa.com helps doctors who know where they want to go, get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call Naren direct at 877-249-9666.
