This is a great question! The truth of the matter is that IT providers and cybersecurity professionals both play important yet very different roles in supporting your dental practice. To understand the different roles each plays, consider the parallel between a general dentist and a specialist. You might think that means your data is safe with just one or the other, but your dental practice needs both to prevent cyber crime!
The IT provider is a generalist
Your IT provider can be likened to a general dentist who has a broad knowledge base of dentistry. They are information technology experts with a generalized and broad understanding of information systems. They manage networks, software/hardware, and basic security measures within an organization. IT providers are usually tasked with setting up systems, fixing technical issues and making sure that the technology infrastructure operates smoothly on a daily basis for all dental team members. With respect to cybersecurity measures, the majority of IT providers would install basic tools such as anti-virus and firewalls to mitigate external threats; however, they are only a small piece of the puzzle. They are, on their own, insufficient to protect your systems and data. Often, the techniques or methods they use to prevent breaches don’t meet the unique needs of Canadian dental practices.
Cybersecurity is a specialty
Cybersecurity professionals can be compared to dental specialists. They protect sensitive patient and practice data from hackers, ransomware, data theft and viruses. These CISM or CISSP-certified individuals have extensive training and expertise to prevent, detect and respond to emerging cyber threats. Their specialized in-depth training takes at least 5 years to complete. They are primarily focused on protecting organizations and organizational data from digital threats using a multi-layered approach that goes beyond simple antivirus and firewalls that IT providers employ. Cybersecurity professionals protect your practice through the use of advanced tools/software, regular risk assessments and the implementation of protocols and policies that are designed to safeguard sensitive data. In addition, staff training and incident response planning is part of the long-term strategy for protection and quick recovery should an incident occur. The end-goal for cybersecurity professionals is to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of your practice and patient data as well as your compliance with all federal, provincial and college regulations.
Dental practices need both
Dental and healthcare practices need both IT support and cybersecurity expertise to effectively prevent breaches, ransomware, and data theft. The best-case scenario and outcome to ensure a dental practice’s network, systems and data are optimized and safe is for the IT provider and cybersecurity professional to cooperate with each other. When the two experts work harmoniously, it’s a win-win for the practice as you leverage the strengths of both – smooth day-to-day operations and robust security. This isn’t a case where one is better than the other, rather this is a case of “two heads are better than one”.
Collaboration is the key to dental cybersecurity
It’s important to know that many dental cybersecurity breaches are related to the lack of awareness of dental team members (including dentists) of potential threats that may present via email or “risky” online behaviour (visiting social media sites, unsecured websites etc.). According to Verizon’s Breach Report (May 2021), 85% of all breaches involved human error. When you’re supported by the best IT and cybersecurity professionals, it’s easy to become complacent and reliant on them to keep your practice on track and running smoothly and securely. However, everyone on the team is responsible for cybersecurity. That’s why staff training and being aware of the latest threats is critical for protection.
Learn how to protect your practice and patient data with myla™, Canada’s first and only online cybersecurity training hub for dental professionals. The support and advice of our expert consultants along with our specialized team training is unparalleled in the industry. Our free newsletter, myla™ moments, is designed to keep you up-to-date on the latest alerts, news and tips related to dental cybersecurity and dental professionals. When you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! With myla™ in your corner, dental cybersecurity has never been easier.
