The biggest questions for most physician practice consolidators are around getting started. There are a seemingly endless list of actions that can be done or should be done to improve the safety and security of the practice portfolio. Picking the things that should be done and proceeding forward in a subject matter probably unfamiliar to most practices consolidators is a daunting proposition. Here are some frequently asked questions with our response for your review.
What is the likelihood that my practices will experience some sort of cybersecurity attack?
Answer: Pretty close to 100%. Statistically speaking, they have already been attacked and probably breached. You either know of the attack or you do not know about it. But….you have been a victim of a cybersecurity attack. And, you WILL get hit again and again.
If I am going to get attacked anyway, why should I try to prevent it? Shouldn’t I just pick up the pieces once it has happened?
Answer: Cybersecurity attacks are not an “all-or-nothing” proposition. There are a wide variety of possible attacks and an even wider degree of damage that the practice can incur. Further, being able to recover from an attack can mitigate much of the damage if the proper steps are taken. A comprehensive, multi-faceted protection fabric is in order to limit the consequences of an attack allowing you to “live to fight another day”. The goal is not to make your practice bullet proof. That is not a possible goal. But increasing safety and limiting damage is a very possible goal.
Can I just implement the HHS guidelines myself instead of using Vijilant?
Answer: Absolutely. We are here to help in anyway we can. While the HHS guidelines are a great help to the healthcare practice, they are very short on the “hows” to getting the recommendations done. Further, most practices do not have a “bench” of available resources that can be applied to the problem. And, the skills set for doing an adequate job with implementation or navigating the dizzying array of hardware, software, network, training and support offerings can sometime be overwhelming. Healthcare providers are normally pretty smart! You have the ability to learn complicated subject matter very quickly and put it to use. However, every minute spent on cybersecurity is a minute that cannot be billed or a minute that does not leverage other billable staff. So, while you may have the “gray matter” to tackle your own cybersecurity needs, the financial justification is very poor.
The other thing that most healthcare practices fail to realize is that the cybersecurity battle rages on perpetually. You are never “done” with implementation and the threat landscape and attack surface changes hourly. Not aligning your practice with resources that can align and change with these changing variables is setting yourself up for eventual failure.
How much will it cost to get started?
Answer: The short answer is just $97 per device per month. Once we charge your credit card (every 30 days in advance), we can have you on-boarded in about a week.
My IT Services company provides cybersecurity for our practice. So, I am covered, right?
Answer: You may be in great shape and have a great level of cybersecurity protection in place. The reality is, IT generalists do not typically have the focus, training, certifications or skills to provide you the correct protection. Chances are you need help now. Vijilant is a cyber-first company and that has to be the focus. IT support is important too, but the proper level of protection has to start with cybersecurity. Our monthly service includes IT support for one fixed price.
Contact us to get started.