Back in 2019, over one hundred nursing homes were without health data and payroll information due to a cyberattack after a ransomware attack where cybercriminals demanded $14 million in payouts to return full use of affected systems to the facilities. Everything from telephone services, electronic billing and payroll management to the ordering of medications and management of electronic health records (EHRs) was affected, leaving the nursing homes — and their patients and staff — at a great disadvantage. 

Assisted living facilities, retirement centers, and nursing homes are often targeted by hackers due to the large amount of sensitive data in their systems. Patient medical records, personal identification, and even payment information provides ample enticement for data thieves. In addition, many of these organizations are small, and do not have access to the same IT resources as larger corporations, making them even more vulnerable to cyberattack. To help protect your adult care center, consider partnering with a competent managed service provider (MSP) to gain access to high-level cybersecurity technology that can help your organization — and those you serve — stay protected. 

Using Managed Services to Protect Your Nursing Home from Cyberthreats

There are on average two healthcare-oriented data breaches occurring each day, with over 723 reported breaches of over 500 or more records from March 2021 to February 2022. To compound these numbers, hackers are increasingly interested in small businesses, making them three times more likely than their larger counterparts to be targeted by cyber thieves. Businesses with fewer than one hundred employees typically fall prey to 350% more social engineering attacks, rather than relying only on spam or malware. That means threat prevention techniques must keep pace with evolving threats, or your business is at risk. But small businesses or those with fewer resources such as nursing home facilities often lack the in-house IT help necessary to properly prepare and protect against such threats.

That’s why partnering with a vendor who offers managed services is critical. A managed services provider (MSP) is focused on providing the kind of cybersecurity that can keep data secure and ensure business continuity in the event of data loss — without breaking the budget. An MSP can provide the following services to help assess vulnerabilities, create a strategy for protection, and keep your facility running in the event a breach occurs.

Assessing Vulnerabilities 

One of the most critical moments in the partnership between a business and an MSP is the primary assessment of infrastructure alongside business goals, needs, and challenges. At this point, your MSP partner will take an in-depth look into your infrastructure including servers, endpoints, peripherals, and software to determine where there are weaknesses. They will also consider issues upon which your facility wishes to focus, such as streamlining business processes or creating compliance within processes.

Creating a Solid Cybersecurity Strategy

Next, your Managed IT provider will put cybersecurity strategies into place to deal with evolving threats and new hacking techniques. This may include, but is not limited to, remote monitoring, access control procedures, updating soft- and hardware on time with relevant security patches, providing encryption and two-factor authentication, and even educating your staff on cybersecurity best practices. Importantly, your MSP will then continue to maintain, troubleshoot, and protect your infrastructure throughout the length of your partnership. 

Providing a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan

Finally, in the event a breach does occur, your Managed IT team will proactively develop a strong Disaster Recovery Plan that will allow for uninterrupted business continuity. For nursing facilities, this is particularly critical, as the health and lives of your patients may be at risk should your infrastructure be compromised. 

Trust Blue Technologies for Leading-Edge Cybersecurity 

When you need assistance with your information technology, you want a team with targeted expertise in cybersecurity, particularly if you are the owner or manager of a nursing home facility, assisted living center, or other healthcare facility. 

At Blue Technologies, our team is experienced, credentialed, and most importantly, accessible 24/7. They expertly monitor every component of your IT infrastructure to give you the protection and peace of mind that you deserve. Not only does our team provide expert on-site assessments, deploy and maintain security safeguards, and provide you with a targeted Disaster Recovery Plan for outstanding business continuity, but we can also help increase your overall efficiency and provide cost savings and predictability. 

Protect your patients, your staff, and your facility from the threat of cyberattacks. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant and partner with us for unparalleled protection and security.