Resources & Insights
The following resources and insights are provided to help you make smart information technology decisions in building a stronger, more productive, more compliant and more competitive business or organization.
Simply select the category below to view applicable resources.
CNN reports: Hundreds of dental offices crippled by ransomware attack
"We have no access to the patient charts, schedule, x-rays, or payment ledger," Shae Johnson, the Clinical Coordinator at Dentistry Design in McFarland, Wisconsin, told CNN. "The doctor cannot [...]
What Does Windows End of Life Mean to My Business?
You’ve all heard the panic. Windows is cutting off support for its widely popular version 7 software. January 14, 2020 will officially mark Windows 7 End of Life. Many companies [...]
Getting Ahead of Windows 07 End of Life
With Windows 7 end of life quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about what needs to be done to prepare. Technically, regular Windows 7 support has been dead since [...]
To Renew or Not Renew, That Is the Question
You’re prepared, at least mentally, to begin your migration to Windows 10 because you’ve read What Does Windows End of Life Mean to My Business? And Getting Ahead of [...]
Is Your Practice Prepared for Windows 7 End-of-Life?
As of January 14, 2020, Microsoft will discontinue support for its popular Windows 7 operating system and Windows Sever 2008. If you’re a healthcare practice using either platform, you need [...]
California Moves to Close Gaps in Data Breach Notification Law
The proposed legislation would close a loophole in the state’s existing data breach notification law, requiring breached organizations to report compromised biometrics and passports. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and [...]
Is Your IT Provider An Asset Or A Liability To Your Practice?
By Ron Vesely, Arevtech president and founder Dental practices of all sizes are increasingly using Managed IT Service Providers (MSPs) to help lower costs, increase efficiencies, and ensure compliance [...]
Make Your IT Expenses Predictable
Many practices lack the means to plan and budget IT expenses and future equipment needs. The dental industry continues to face stagnant growth. The 2017 Dental Economics–Levin Group Annual Practice [...]
Waiting for Your Outdated Technology to Break Before You Replace It?
Don’t ignore the risks of an outdated IT infrastructure. A State of Work Report by Samanage in 2016 found that businesses lose over $13,000 per year, per employee, on unproductive [...]
Beware of ransomware: Here’s how to protect your district
BY SAM CURRY 3 important steps and some free resources to help prevent cyber-abuse A new, disturbing pattern has cropped back up that is reminiscent of some nasty behavior from [...]
Software Patching integral to PHI Data Security
Healthcare organizations and vendors are responsible for identifying and mitigating the risks unpatched software poses to ePHI as part of their HIPAA compliance, OCR advised in its June Cybersecurity Newsletter. [...]
Think it can’t happen to you — Think again
DENTAL RECEPTIONIST GETS PRISON TERM FOR IDENTITY THEFT, LARCENY Annie Vuong, a former receptionist at a New York-based dental office, was given 2-6 years in state prison for stealing personal [...]
Healthcare Data Breach Costs Remain Highest Among Industries
Healthcare Data Breach Costs Remain Highest Among Industries In their 2018 Cost of a Data Breach Report, IBM and the Ponemon Institute found that healthcare data breach costs average $408 [...]
7 Steps for getting right with NIST 800-171
The deadline for defense contractors and subcontractors to implement the information security requirements listed in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 has come and [...]
HIPAA Security Rule Requires Physical Security of Equipment
While most HIPAA Security Rule violations involve electronic data breaches, healthcare providers and business associates could also face a violation for failing to physically secure computers and other equipment holding [...]
Network Assessment – What Does it Mean and Why Does it Matter?
Network Assessment can be a word as broad as the sky, so sometimes when an IT expert suggests doing a network assessment for your business, you may be thinking of [...]
What is the Newest Small Business Cybersecurity Threats
By: Pedro Hernandez Ransomware was a persistent threat throughout all of 2017, and things may be getting worse going into 2018, cautions Bogdan "Bob" Botezatu, senior e-threat analyst at cybersecurity [...]
Why Older Computers and Outdated Hardware Pose Security Risks
By Marcie Geffner: Bankrate Cybercrime experts often tell consumers to upgrade their technology to protect themselves from credit and debit card fraud, identity theft and other financial scams. But is [...]
Does Your Practice Technology Need a Checkup?
By: Edward Shellard, DMD It seems like new technology is released every week. Think of how often you've had to upgrade your cell phone over the last decade-even your phone's [...]
The Financial Dangers of a Lost Smartphone
The Financial Dangers of a Lost Smartphone Chris V Nicholson The odds are pretty good you’ve lost a cellphone at some point in your life or will in the future. [...]
Why Careful Health IT Infrastructure Planning is Essential
By Elizabeth O’Dowd Properly planning upgrades to legacy health IT infrastructure solutions prevents compatibility issues and assures the IT budget is being used effectively. A successful health IT infrastructure comprises [...]
Equifax Breach – How Bad Is It Really & Can It Effect My Practice?
October 14, 2017 | Amy Wood It's really bad. Worse yet, you are on your own when it comes to protecting your identity. Credit Bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Transunion) have [...]
6 IT nightmares plaguing schools-and 6 solutions to stop them
Posted By Contributor Featured on eSchool News,IT,Management,IT Newsletter From constricted budgets to needing to protect large numbers of devices and users, educational institutions face a unique set requirements for data [...]
Managing the true cost of digital dentistry and technology ownership in our practices
By Gary Kaye, DDS, FAGD Digital dentistry impacts all of us. Dr. Gary Kaye says it is important to know the total cost of ownership of the technology in your [...]
Your medical record is worth more to hackers than your credit card
Reuters: Caroline Humer, Jim Finkle NEW YORK/BOSTON (Reuters) - Your medical information is worth 10 times more than your credit card number on the black market. Last month, the [...]
KRACK WI-FI HACK: GOOGLE, APPLE AND MICROSOFT SCRAMBLE TO FIX WPA2 VULNERABILITY
By Anthony Cuthbertson Newsweek Apple, Google, Microsoft and other technology companies have been rushing to address issues related to the Krack Wi-Fi security vulnerability—a flaw that puts any person using [...]
What the Average Worker Doesn’t Know About Security Will Scare You
As security becomes more complex organizations are tasked with making sure that it’s not just the IT department on the lookout for the next threat since malicious actors can get [...]
The Senate health-care bill: What’s at stake for dental practices and the dental industry?
The Senate health-care bill: What’s at stake for dental practices and the dental industry? Jul 15, 2017 By Meg Booth and Kevin Thomas Industry | Opinion News stories about the [...]
Protected health information at risk, FBI warns
The FBI in a private industry notification warned health care providers that cybercriminals are actively targeting File Transfer Protocol (FTP) servers “operating in ‘anonymous’ mode and associated with medical and [...]
Lack of Business Associate Agreement Leads to $31K HIPAA Fine
By Admin April 27, 2017 An Illinois pediatric health chain paid a $31,000 HIPAA breach penalty this month after the company it hired to store and manage old paper medical [...]
New Guidelines: End Frequent Password Changes
By Admin April 24, 2017 The agency that develops information security standards for the U.S. federal government is recommending significant changes to password guidelines, essentially reversing some long-held best practices. [...]
Stolen Laptop Leads to $2.5 Million HIPAA Breach Penalty
By Admin April 27, 2017 The theft of a laptop computer containing information of nearly 1,400 patients was among two HIPAA breaches that led a Pennsylvania provider of remote heart [...]
Workers Are Playing It Fast and Loose with Sensitive Data
By Pedro Hernandez | Posted April 20, 2017 Dell recently commissioned Dimensional Research to look into the data security habits of over 2,600 professionals in eight countries, including the United States and [...]
Ransomware and the $99K SMB Shakedown
Quick question: How does parting with nearly a hundred grand because of lax PC security sound to you? According to new research from Kaspersky Lab, small business owners can now [...]
Server FAIL: 3 signs your server is on the brink
Servers, like home furnaces, are critical pieces of infrastructure that should work without issue for many years. But eventually they will start struggling, maybe rattling a bit or not working [...]
How to Recognize a Fake Virus Warning
Pop up messages claiming that you have a virus and you are in need of anti-virus software may, ironically, actually contain a virus that could harm your computer, cause costly [...]