Phishing, smishing and vishing are all attempts to defraud you through e-mail, mobile, and telephoning scams respectively.
Every medical practice should be focussed on identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities that exist that could negatively impact the confidentiality, integrity or availability of information.
However, all of us, are ultimately responsible for safeguarding the information that we have access to and are custodians of, so…..
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY SCEPTICISM
- Be suspicious of any e-mail, SMS or phone call that either asks for your personal information, banking details or information pertaining to yourself, medical practices, clients or patients.
TREAT ALL INFORMATION AS HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL
- All information collected or processed should be treated as highly confidential including information relating to medical practices and patients.
- Do not collect, process or pass that information on to any 3rd party without permission.
LOOK AT YOUR URL BAR
- Secure web sites always start with 'https', not only 'http', and have a lock icon next to them. If you see the lock next to a ‘http', rather than an ‘https’, address, you know it's a fraudulent site.
HOVER OVER HYPERLINKS
- Hover your mouse over any hyperlinks to reveal the actual URL and check that it is, in fact, the address stated in the e-mail.
Awareness and possible implementing of some of these measures will certainly go a long way to minimising the chances of your medical practice experiencing possible negative exposure.
