Healthcare providers are vulnerable to cyberattacks because their industry is lucrative. People and even government institutions spend so much money on their medical bills, thanks to emerging markets and aging populations. Advances in technology have transformed paper medical records to digital files that can easily be stored and accessed, but can also easily be stolen by hackers. If any data is stolen or held for ransom, the healthcare provider may rather pay the ransom then risk their reputation and the privacy of their patients.

From financial information to medical information

In the past few years, cybercriminals have focused on stealing financial data, including credit card numbers and personal information. But things are taking a turn, the result of financial institutions fortifying their database and raising client awareness of the problem.

Stronger data protection measures in the financial industry have forced criminals to turn their attention to medical data, which is typically much less secure. Patient data includes date of birth, medical and physical records, and social security number — information that can’t be easily reset, and is significantly more valuable than credit card data.

Securing healthcare data

Healthcare data has become more attractive to criminals, and it’s crucial that medical institutions take necessary precautions to secure their patients’ information from data thieves. Here are some best practices to secure healthcare data.

• Protect the network and Wi-Fi – Because hackers use a variety of tools to break into IT systems and obtain medical records, your healthcare organization needs to invest in firewalls and antivirus software. Network segregation is also a wise move; in the event of a breach, the attacker can’t instantly access all of your organization’s information at once.
  
• Educate employees – Staff members need training in information security, including setting passwords, spam filters, protection against phishing, and spotting different kinds of data breach methods.
  
• Data encryption – Encrypting data is one of the safest ways to secure it. Encryption translates patients’ data into code, and only authorized users with a decryption key can decode it. Multi-encryption is also an effective way to keep out intruders.
  
• Physical security – Most healthcare institutions still retain their patients’ records on paper, which are stored in cabinets. Ensure that all loopholes are covered by installing surveillance cameras and other physical security controls, such as electronic door locks.
  

It is important for healthcare providers to secure the sensitive information of their patients. If you want to know how your organization can better protect your patients’ information, give us a call.

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The number of malware-infected Android apps in app stores is higher than ever. In fact, there’s a decent chance that your Android smartphone or tablet is already infected. Follow these malware removal tips to minimize the damage to your device, data, and business.

Confirm the malware infection

Android devices usually exhibit strange behaviors when they’re infected with malware. A device may suddenly slow to a crawl or the battery may drain faster than expected. Other telltale signs include an abundance of pop-up ads, unusual apps installed on your home screen, unexplained data usage, and unauthorized in-app purchases.

However, it’s not always easy to tell if your device was compromised, especially since hackers are becoming more proficient at concealing their actions. The best way to check for malware is to run an antivirus scan with a mobile security solution.

How to get rid of malware

If malware has infected your device, the most important thing to do is quarantine the threat as soon as possible. Start by rebooting your device in safe mode, which can be selected when you hold down the power button. Not all versions of Android are the same though, so if this isn’t an option, try restarting your device and holding the volume-down button when the manufacturer’s logo appears.

Once you’ve entered safe mode, go to Settings, then Apps, and uninstall any suspicious apps. A quick Google search or a conversation with your cybersecurity technician should help you determine whether or not an app is dangerous.

If you can’t uninstall the software, it might have administrative privileges. To fix this, open the Advanced settings menu from the Settings app, then select Security, then Device administrators, remove any app that shouldn’t have privileged access, and return to the Apps menu to uninstall it. Mobile security software should also be able to remove malicious programs hiding in your device.

If the malware persists, you’ll have to do a factory reset. This option is usually located in the Backup & reset configurations within the Advanced settings menu. Keep in mind that you’ll lose the apps and files stored in your device, so it’s important to back up your data beforehand.

Protecting your device from malware

After you’ve successfully recovered from a mobile malware infection, make sure to update your device and security software to prevent another infection. Enabling Google Play Protect from within the app store also safeguards your device from rogue apps.

When all is said and done, the best defense is to develop good security habits. Be cautious of everything you see online. Make sure to thoroughly vet apps before downloading them and don’t click on links from unsolicited texts and emails. Also, avoid public Wi-Fi networks or, at the very least, use a virtual private network (VPN) to secure the connection.

Malware attacks can be devastating to your bottom line, but these tips should mitigate the risks. If you want to learn more about how you can safeguard your Android devices, our experts are always willing to assist you. Contact us today.

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Powering your IT equipment costs money, but how much will you actually spend? If you have no idea, you’re in for a treat. Here are four questions you need to ask yourself before considering virtualization. 

Studies have shown that over 70% of IT budgets go to “keeping the lights on.” If that sounds like a lot of money, it is. You could be spending thousands of dollars powering your IT equipment and paying your staff to manage it, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Virtualization can reduce your expenses without keeping you awake at night. 

If you’re ready to learn how, here are four questions you need to ask:

1. What’s the cost of your data center?

We’re talking about the whole kit and caboodle: your servers, backup power supplies, air conditioning, security devices, and the overhead costs for the space to store everything.

2. How much do you spend cooling your servers?

Keeping your servers cool is a fact of life. Have you ever considered how much this is costing you?

3. What is your budget for cabling and adapters?

Don’t forget these. Aside from purchasing physical cables and adaptors, what’s the cost of maintaining them?

4. How much does your IT staff spend to manage these resources?

It takes time for your staff to manage your IT, and time is money. 

How does virtualization eliminate these costs? With virtualization, you can kiss the data center, servers, cables, and adapters goodbye (hello, new office space). Instead, equipment is stored off-site and delivered via the internet. Your computers and network continue to function normally. The only difference is they’re out of sight. This equals lower maintenance costs, fewer overheads, less equipment, and fewer headaches. 

And let’s not forget the time it takes to manage all of your IT equipment. Virtualization frees up your IT staff, allowing them to focus on more important things, like your business’s IT strategy and market. You may even have the option to completely eliminate your in-house IT staff. How’s that for cost savings? 

Ready to make the switch to virtualization? Need more questions answered? Let’s talk.

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When you use your Android smartphone for the first time, you’ll be asked about location services and whether you want to turn them on. Google and your carrier will ask you to approve their own location services as well. What you might not know is that there are other options for location services with Android that can affect your device’s security. To that end, let’s look at how to change some of these settings.

Photos and GPS tagging

Your Android smartphone gives you the ability to attach GPS coordinates to the pictures you take, known as geo-locating or GPS tagging. This lets you arrange pictures in albums by location. Geo-locating images in itself isn’t a bad thing, but you can get into trouble when you broadcast sensitive locations to the world. For instance, a picture of your expensive watch with a GPS tag of your house isn’t the best idea.

Here are four ways to control geo-locating photos:

1. Go to your camera settings and you’ll find an on/off toggle.
2. Simply go to Settings > Location and from there you can decide if you want the location saved along with your images.
3. Download an EXIF editor and manually remove the location information from specific images.
4. You can also turn off location services altogether by going to Settings > Location.

Discrete location settings

Apart from location settings in photos and GPS tagging, Android actually has three discrete location settings that allow you to set how accurately you want location reporting to be. You can find these at Settings > Location. Note that this affects your smartphone’s battery life immensely.

• High accuracy – This uses the GPS radio in your phone to pinpoint its exact location using data from satellites while making use of nearby Wi-Fi and cellular networks too.
• Battery saving – This mode only uses Wi-Fi networks and mobile networks to identify locations, and while it might not be as accurate, it will help your battery last longer.
• Device sensors only – This only uses the GPS radio to find you. It may take a little more time to find your location since it’s not using nearby Wi-Fi and mobile networks to get your general location first. This also uses more battery.

Having your location settings turned off will not only help keep your smartphone’s security intact, but also help strengthen your battery life. Interested in learning more about Android phones and their functions? We have solutions for you and your business.

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