Chairman's letter: How to defeat the cyber threat

Right now, there’s a good chance a cybercriminal wants to break into your practice. Emails are being sent in the hope one of your employees will click on a link that will install ransomware, hackers are exploiting security flaws in medical equipment with internet connections, and information is being gathered from social media to trick staffers into revealing patient or financial records.
Even if you own a small practice, chances are you’re being targeted. As a result, physicians must be more vigilant than ever to protect their patient data. Our cover story in this issue explains the three major ways hackers will try to breach your cyber defenses.
Cybercriminals have many resources and are highly knowledgeable about how technology works and its vulnerabilities, experts say. But they also tend to take the path of least resistance, meaning the harder they have to work to hack a practice, the more likely they are to move on to an easier target. As the bad guys refine their tactics, practices must continue to be vigilant, especially against the most common threats. 
“You can’t just throw your arms up and say there’s nothing that can be done,” Rob Tennant, the director of health information technology policy for MGMA, told our editors.
Speaking of risks, in this issue we also examine other risks that physicians deal with in their career, including the malpractice threat, and speak to experts about how to mitigate those risks, and secure the financial future of both yourself and your practice.
In addition, this issue features articles covering:
Practical tips for engaging with patients during an exam;
The latest in solutions for patients for dealing with chronic pain; and
An interview with a researcher on how primary care has lost its way, and what can be done to reclaim it for physicians and patients.
As always, if you have feedback on our content, story ideas, or would like to contribute to Medical Economics, please reach out to our editors at medec@mmhgroup.com. 

Mike Hennessy, Sr.
Chairman and Founder of MJH Life Sciences