Healthcare workers have one of the most selfless and thankless jobs out there. In an occupation that is always busy, and where the sole purpose of your job is to take care of others, it’s a wonder that people in healthcare are able to do their job day in and day out. It takes a very special person to work on the front lines at hospitals, special care homes, dentist’s offices and so on.
Outside of caring for patients’ needs, the healthcare sector also safeguards very sensitive information. Patients entrust their providers with personal data such as addresses, phone numbers, insurance details, and credit card numbers (to name just a few). In addition, the healthcare system promises privacy to those in its careand must enforce these policies with employees.
If you are the owner of a healthcare facility, it is up to you to guarantee the privacyof your patients. Are you fully confident in the protection you provide? Here are some steps to follow to ensure your patients are secure in their privacy.
Get a VPN Service
There are many types of cybercrime out there, and hackers are getting more innovative with their approaches all of the time.Did you know that personal data is one of the most coveted goods on the dark web today?Hackers are constantly on the hunt for sensitive information that they can sell for a profit or make use of themselves through committing fraud and/or theft. Since the healthcare sector is a gold mine for personal identifiable information (PII), it’s imperative that the computer systems which have access to patients’ data are protected. Luckily, a VPN service can help.
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and it stands as the digital middleman between your device and the Internet. Using encryption technology, a VPN service protects the data on your server sending your Internet traffic through a private tunnel, which stops hackers from accessing the information on your database. You can get privacy with Malwarebytes VPN service to ensure your protection.
Privacy Policies
Another way to respect the privacy of your patients is to enforce policies with your staff. For example, employees should sign a confidentiality form that clearly states workplace rules about taking photos of patients, sharing confidential information on social media and other privacy concerns. Since the healthcare sector is such a sensitive space, your staff should be well-versed in the dos and don’ts of protecting the security of your patients.
You could also have a policy in place that prohibits your staff from bringing home work equipment that contains important data. Leaving behind all work devices such as computers and phones eliminates the chance of them being hacked on public Wi-Fi for example, or even stolen. Clear policies make sure there’s no wiggle room here.
Since the healthcare sector deals with such an enormous amount of sensitive, private data, it makes for a prime target for cybercrime. Fortunately, there are ways to safeguard the privacy of your patients, both with workplace policies and computer systems protection.
