Doctor Disability: How to Protect Your Passwords
Sure, using your first name for a password will insure that you never forget it. But it also makes you much more susceptible to cyber attacks. As a physician or dentist, your patients entrust you with significant personal information- it is essential to protect your livelihood and your safety. We discussed the value of Doctor Disability insurance last week. This week, we’ll discuss tips on how to beef up your cyber security. 
Verizon recently looked at cyber attacks on healthcare organizations in 2011 and 2012. The study found that 72% of cyber attacks that occurred were caused by hackers guessing, or using automated systems to guess the passwords and other credentials that allowed them to access computer systems.
Here is the profile. Verizon’s report found that 7 percent of cyber attacks were on health organizations, up 1% from last year. Most of the breaches were at smaller organizations with less than 100 employees. Smaller practices are considered easy targets because of their more lax security systems, and a failure to implement low cost security measures such as hard-to-guess passwords.
Top passwords that were stolen include “password,” “123456,” and “12345678.” A good password, on the other hand, should be at least eight characters long, and use a combination of letters and symbols. You should also use different passwords for each account that requires login credentials. Once you establish passwords, keep them to yourself. They should not be shared with employees, friends, or family. And, you should make sure you have good firewalls in place to protect your information.
Hackers aren’t targeting businesses because they are healthcare related. They are interested in any organization or individual who is vulnerable, and have personal or financial information that would help to set up fraudulent accounts.
Doctor Disability specializes in provident occupation disability insurance to physicians and dentists. Whether you are an anesthesiologist, radiologist, ER physician, or surgeon, you will find relevant information on how you can protect your career and your livelihood. For more information on physician disability insurance, please contact us today at Doctor Disability to speak to one of our disability insurance professionals.
Source: American Medical Association