October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it a great time for healthcare practices to take a closer look at what they actually know about cybersecurity versus what they think they know.
Healthcare organizations handle sensitive patient information every day, making cybersecurity more than an IT concern. A cyber incident can disrupt access to systems, impact patient care, expose sensitive information, and create compliance concerns.
Unfortunately, some common cybersecurity myths can create a false sense of security.
Here are six myths healthcare practices should stop believing.
Myth 1: “We’re too small for cybercriminals to care about.”
Being a smaller medical, dental, or healthcare practice doesn’t mean you’re too small to be targeted.
Your practice still handles valuable information, including patient records, insurance information, financial data, employee information, and login credentials. Attackers often look for opportunities rather than company size.
FACT: Your practice doesn’t have to be large to have data worth protecting.
Myth 2: “Our employees will recognize a phishing email.”
Phishing emails aren’t always filled with obvious spelling mistakes and suspicious links anymore.
Modern phishing attempts can look like legitimate messages from vendors, coworkers, insurance companies, software providers, or even practice leadership.
Your team should be especially cautious when a message involves:
- Unexpected payment or banking changes
• Requests for patient or sensitive information
• Unusual login links
• Password or account verification requests
• Unexpected attachments
When something feels unusual, employees should know how to verify the request before clicking or responding.
FACT: A professional-looking email can still be a scam.
Myth 3: “MFA means our accounts are protected.”
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an important security measure, but it shouldn’t be your only one.
Cybercriminals can use tactics such as repeated authentication requests or convincing phishing pages to try to get around account protections.
MFA works best as part of a larger cybersecurity strategy that includes strong access controls, employee awareness, monitoring, and other safeguards.
FACT: MFA is an important layer of security, not your entire security strategy.
Myth 4: “We have backups, so we’re covered.”
Having backups and being able to recover from a cyber incident are two very different things.
Imagine arriving at your practice tomorrow and discovering your team can't access patient files, scheduling systems, imaging, or other critical applications.
Could you restore them? How quickly?
Backups should be regularly tested so your practice knows what can be restored and how long recovery could take.
FACT: A backup is only valuable if you can successfully recover from it.
Myth 5: “Cybersecurity is IT’s responsibility.”
Your IT provider can put strong protections in place, but technology can't control every decision an employee makes.
One employee clicking a malicious link, approving an unexpected MFA request, or accidentally sharing sensitive information can create risk for the entire practice.
That’s why cybersecurity awareness should extend from the front desk to providers, billing, administration, and leadership.
FACT: Protecting your practice requires both technology and people.
Myth 6: “We know what to do if something happens.”
Picture a busy Tuesday morning. Patients are arriving, phones are ringing, and suddenly employees can’t access critical systems.
What happens next?
Who contacts IT? Should employees shut down their computers? How will you communicate if email or phones aren't available? Who contacts your cyber insurance provider? Who communicates with patients?
Those decisions shouldn't be made for the first time during an emergency.
A documented and tested incident response plan gives your team clear steps to follow when every minute matters.
FACT: Your recovery plan shouldn’t debut during an incident.
Cybersecurity Awareness Starts With the Facts
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a good opportunity to challenge assumptions and take a closer look at how prepared your practice really is.
At Torch Networks, we help healthcare organizations strengthen their cybersecurity, protect sensitive information, reduce technology risks, and prepare for the unexpected.
If any of these myths sound familiar, let's take a closer look at your current IT and cybersecurity environment.
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Proudly supporting healthcare practices in Dallas, Austin, San Marcos, and surrounding Texas communities.
