The percentage of data breaches caused by human error varies, but it is considered a significant contributor to healthcare data breaches. According to a study by the Ponemon Institute, human error is the leading cause of data breaches in the healthcare industry, accounting for approximately 52% of all data breaches.
Another study by the Protenus Health Patient Privacy Rights Report shows that in 2020, human error accounted for nearly 60% of all healthcare data breaches, making it the leading cause.
Human error is the leading cause of data breaches in the healthcare industry, accounting for approximately 52% of all data breaches.
Ponemon Institute
These studies indicate that a significant number of data breaches in healthcare are caused by human error, and it is crucial for healthcare organizations to provide regular security awareness training to all employees to minimize the risk of these types of breaches.
Security awareness training is an essential aspect of protecting a dental practices’ sensitive information. One of the main reasons for this is that human error can often be a significant contributor to data breaches and cyber incidents.
Human error can contribute to a variety of healthcare breaches, including:
- Unauthorized access or disclosure: Employees may accidentally share sensitive patient information with unauthorized individuals or leave patient records in plain view.
- Lost or stolen equipment: Employees may leave laptops, smartphones, or other devices containing patient information unattended or fail to secure them properly.
- Improper disposal of records: Employees may dispose of patient records without properly shredding or destroying them, which can lead to sensitive information falling into the wrong hands.
- Lack of security measures: Employees may not follow proper security protocols, such as using strong passwords, encrypting sensitive information, or regularly updating security software.
- Phishing scams: Employees may fall for phishing scams, which can lead to hackers gaining access to sensitive information.
- Insufficient staff training: Employees may not be properly trained on how to handle patient information, which can lead to errors and breaches.
- Third-party vendor breaches: Human error may occur on the part of third-party vendors that healthcare organizations may outsource their data to, such as billing or lab services.
Security awareness training is key, but widely overlooked part of practice management.
Security awareness training can help employees understand the importance of keeping sensitive information secure, the types of threats that can occur, and the proper procedures for handling sensitive information. By providing this training, employees can become more aware of potential security risks and can take steps to prevent them from occurring.
For example, security awareness training can teach employees about the dangers of phishing scams, which are a common method used by hackers to gain access to sensitive information. By educating employees on how to identify and avoid phishing scams, organizations can greatly reduce their risk of falling victim to a phishing attack.
In addition to security awareness training, dental practices should also have a comprehensive security plan in place. This plan should include measures such as password protection, firewalls, and regular backups of important data. Dental practices should also consider investing in a security risk assessment and cybersecurity insurance to protect against financial losses due to a data breach.
In conclusion, security awareness training is crucial for organizations as it helps employees understand the importance of keeping sensitive information secure, the types of threats that can occur, and the proper procedures for handling sensitive information. By providing regular training and implementing proper security measures, organizations can greatly reduce the risk of a data breach caused by human error.
Is there security awareness training for dental practices in Canada?
For dental practice training, see myla Training Co where all of the content is specifically designed for dental practice owners, associates, managers, and teams to understand data protection, ransomware and breach prevention. The myla courses arm your team with the skills they need to defend your data.
