Episode 10: Why cybersecurity matters in veterinary practice
In this episode of the Vet Blast Podcast, Dr. Christman talks with cybersecurity expert Clint Latham, JD, about what makes veterinary practices vulnerable to cyberattack—and how to protect your hospital and your clients.
Clint Latham, JD, owner of Lucca Veterinary Data Security, likens IT security in a veterinary practice to the instruction he always got from his veterinarian about his dogs’ teeth. Regular at-home brushing can have “a downstream effect on the pet’s overall health,” his veterinarian said. “And that’s the same thing when it comes to IT security. If we can focus on the IT security gaps, it has a downstream effect on your [practice’s] overall IT health.”
The increased use of telemedicine as a result of COVID-19 has left many practices more vulnerable to cyberattacks, Latham tells Dr. Adam Christman in a recent podcast. These breaches are partly due to people conducting practice business from home and using a number of different types of software, such as Zoom, to support their work but not changing their passwords. “That’s an easy way for [a hacker] to get in and compromise all the data across your practice network,” Latham says.
In fact, he adds, small businesses have seen an increase of more than 423% in cyberattacks related to COVID-19.
To learn more about the gaps that could be lurking in your practice’s IT system, and how to bolster cybersecurity, listen to the podcast below.
