On a sunny Tuesday morning, one of your business team members starts her day with a message from a hacker, claiming to have stolen all of the practice’s information and demanding $80,000 for its release. Rather than panic, she sighs out of annoyance and notifies your IT company and you immediately receive verification that the IT company encrypted the files the hacker stole, and you utilize the backup storage at a third-party location to return the files to your technology immediately.
Now more than ever, our information is a commodity on the dark web, Hensen explains. Established in the 1950s for the Navy’s covert communications network, thieves and hackers have infiltrated the dark web as the criminal underground meeting network. It’s not accessible through traditional browsers; instead, users must download specialty browsers to communicate with other nefarious users. (Note: DO NOT LOG ONTO THE DARK WEB. Once you log on, you’re vulnerable and exposed.) As technology has evolved, so have the criminals who utilize it to steal information. The tools they use to hack into systems were stolen from the National Security Administration, Hensen said. These platforms designed to protect us are now being sold at a low price on the dark web, allowing more hackers into our databases and network drives than ever before. Coupled with the fact that the price of the online commerce system Bitcoin has fallen, it’s become easier than ever for hackers to access your data. In the past, businesses and families would hire professionals like Hensen to fix their laptops or computers when a virus infected their technology, stole their data, and shut the device down. Today, hackers sneak into our devices and go to great lengths to ensure they are never discovered. Their goal is to hang in the background, peer into your files, and steal whatever they can as it’s updated. The hackers then turn around to sell this information on the dark web to scammers and thieves looking to make a quick buck, and if they cannot guarantee a satisfied criminal, they turn to other pieces or victims in your data.
Hackers may also keep the information hostage in an increasingly popular criminal action known as ransomware. The New York Times reports this type of attack is on the rise and the amount of money hackers are requesting continues to climb. The attack has closed small businesses and damaged city and emergency response budgets. And that’s precisely what makes you, your practice, and your patients a commodity. You’re literally being sold online to thieves looking for a criminal service — fueled by referrals and protected by return policies, Hensen explained — to aid in their mission to steal.
By that afternoon, it’s as if the hack never even happened.
In those moments, you’re not thinking about how much money you spent on backup servers and security protection. You are not worried about what information had been stolen. You can confidently tell your patients that their personal information is safe, and you will be thankful to have the protection that caught the fraud, ended it quickly, and dispelled the issue before it resulted in a mass breach of personal security. This could have been a TOTAL LOSS . Unfortunately, IT and security protections are often seen as an optional expense that would be nice to have but aren’t a necessity . According to one of the tech world’s top experts and thought-leaders, Charles Hensen, this thinking is detrimental to our safety and security. A 27-year IT veteran, Hensen has been featured in many publications offering his expertise and was invited to Google’s headquarters to provide feedback on products, tools, and security. When he says ignoring tech security and must-dos is detrimental, he knows what he’s saying … because he’s seen it happen to panicked business owners requesting his help.
"You’re literally being sold online to thieves looking for a criminal service — fueled by referrals and protected by return policies, Hensen explained — to aid in their mission to steal."
Hensen has learned a lot in his nearly three decades adapting and servicing technology to protect and meet the needs of consumers. For dental practices, which store thousands of pieces of personal information at any given time, this information is NECESSARY in order to protect the health of the practice and the safety of patients. Remember, the time to think about upgrading your tech needs is not when you’re in the middle of a technology crisis. Take Hensen’s 13 tips into account and protect yourself from becoming a commodity.
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