By Kim Del Fierro

The number of cloud users is steadily growing. According to Statista, in 2018 there are 3.6 billion consumer cloud-based service users, which is a significant jump from 2.4 billion users in 2013. Businesses are starting to rely more on cloud-based services as well. Public cloud offered by third-party providers such as Dropbox is the go-to solution for many companies, but there’s also the route of private cloud, used mostly by large enterprises who have the resources to operate it.

Another solution is gaining popularity by combining the best of those two worlds: the hybrid cloud. 90% of organizations will move to hybrid cloud infrastructure by 2020 according to Gartner. However, despite being an attractive solution for organizations of all sizes, hybrid cloud also poses more security challenges. Let’s have a look at some of them: [Read more…]

By Kim Del Fierro

The business world has become more competitive than ever. Not only is there increased pressure on companies to be profitable, but also to keep information safe. For many companies, cybersecurity is an area that’s easy to cut back on, but that can prove to be an expensive mistake.

According to the PwC Global Economic Crime Report, cybercrime is now the second most reported economic crime, affecting 31 percent of organizations. The percentage is high, and if cybersecurity doesn’t become a priority in business, it will certainly get higher. As the leader and owner of a company, do you know which cybersecurity vulnerabilities your organization may have right now? Let’s take a look: [Read more…]

By Oliver Dehning

You’re looking for a company to replace that worn-down carpeting in the waiting room of your small private practice. You send a few emails, get a response and a quote inside of a PDF and double-click to open it.

Just like that, every computer in the office is hit with ransomware.

With the modern world’s reliance on technology, everything comes to a standstill. Fifteen computers are locked down as backup files are restored. When the office reopens three days later, thousands of dollars in canceled appointments are lost – as is patient trust.

That scenario is rare, but not rare enough in healthcare, which was the industry most affected by data breaches in 2017 – the majority of its 328 disclosed breaches coming by hacking or malware attacks. This is despite HIPPA regulations that require strong cybersecurity measures, as well as the millions spent in IT costs by providers and other groups that possess patients’ delicate health information. [Read more…]

By Kim Del Fierro

We live in times when it’s become easier than ever for hackers to breach a healthcare organization through social engineering. Breaches are primarily caused by phishing attacks, representing a huge security problem for businesses.

But why is this type of cybercriminal so widely represented in the statistics? What is it that makes it so easy and so profitable for hackers? We might not like the answers. The ever-increasing connectivity and focus on people and data is leaving us vulnerable to malicious attacks. To protect your healthcare business, you need to start thinking like a hacker.

Let’s take a look at how they infiltrate big business and what can be done about it. [Read more…]