With so much focus on expanding teledentistry services for patients across the country, the integration of cloud-based data storage into dental practices, and the threats to these systems, it’s no wonder that the cybersecurity industry is predicted to experience substantial growth. From 2017 to 2021, healthcare cybersecurity spending – including spending in dentistry – is forecast to grow to $65 billion. This is based on predictions that the number of ransomware attacks, like the one that recently crippled England’s National Health Service (NHS), will quadruple by 2020.

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the healthcare cybersecurity market will grow by as much as 15 percent through 2021. Because of the risks to patient data and other digital healthcare information, governments across the world are expected to increase scrutiny of the industry and adopt or revise regulations requiring organizations to use the latest security technology available. Healthcare providers are also expected to begin demanding more from their IT service providers, including strong security features

Back in 2014, Code Spaces was murdered. The company offered tools for source code management, but they didn’t have solid control

over sensitive information — including their backups. One cyberattack later, and Code Spaces was out of business. Their killer had used some standard techniques, but the most effective was getting an unwitting Code Space employee to help — likely via a phishing attack.

When it comes to cybercrime that targets businesses, employees are the largest risks. Sure, your IT guys and gals are trained to recognize phishing attempts, funky websites, and other things that just don’t seem right. But can you say the same thing about the dental hygienists, or the office staff?

Sure, those employees might know that clicking on links or opening attachments in strange emails can cause issues. But things have become pretty sophisticated; cybercriminals can make it look like someone in your office is sending the email, even if the content looks funny. It only takes a click to compromise the system. It also only takes a click to Google a funny-looking link or ask IT about a weird download you don’t recognize.

Just as you can’t trust people to be email-savvy, you also can’t trust them to come up with good people still use birthdays, pet names, or even “password” as their passcodes — or they meet the bare-minimum standards for required passcode complexity. Randomly generated passcodes are always better, and requiring multiple levels of authentication for secure data access is a must-do.

Remember, that’s just for the office. Once employees start working outside of your network, even more issues crop up. It’s not always possible to keep them from working from home, or from a coffee shop on the road. But it is possible to invest in security tools, like email encryption, that keep data more secure if they have to work outside your network. And if people are working remotely, remind them that walking away from the computer is a no-no. Anybody could lean over and see what they’re working on, download malware or spyware, or even swipe the entire device and walk out — all of which are cybersecurity disasters.

Last but not least, you need to consider the possibility of a deliberate security compromise. Whether they’re setting themselves up for a future job or setting you up for a vengeful fall,

“As a dentist, you don’t have time to waste on technical and operational issues. That’s where we shine! Call

us and put an end to your IT problems finally and forever.”

Fred SagesterFounder and CEO

June 2017

Cybersecurity Spending to Increase to $65

Billion in Next 5 Years

this common occurrence is hard to prevent. It’s possible that Code Space’s demise was the result of malice, so let it be a warning to you as well! Whenever an employee leaves the company for any reason, remove their accounts and access to your data. And make it clear to employees that this behavior is considered stealing, or worse, and will be treated as such in criminal and civil court.

You really have your work cut out for you, huh? Fortunately, it’s still possible to run a secure-enough company in today’s world. Keep an eye on your data and on your employees. And foster an open communication that allows you to spot potential — or developing — compromises as soon as possible.

Millennials make up a huge percentage of the US population. By attracting this audience to their dental practices, dentists will develop a long-term patient base. Think digitally.

According to a 2015 report from the United States Census Bureau, there are 83.1 million people in the US who were born between 1982 and 2000, commonly referred to as millennials. This group (more than one quarter of the entire US population) now number more than the baby boomers and represent a huge buying demographic—they’re expected to spend more than $200 billion as of 2017. It makes sense that engaging millennials opens up a new dental patient base with a high lifetime value. We’ll tell you where the new generation hangs out online, how to connect, and how to ensure they keep coming back to your practice.

Cultivate your online presenceAccording to the American Press Institute, 51% of millennials are “mostly or almost always online and connected.” Whether via desktop, laptop, or mobile device, this generation grew up on the internet and is used to getting the information they want, when they want it, online. They want up-to-date information, they expect business hours, address, and photos, and a practice that stands out in the internet’s information overload.

Millennials are used to well-designed, easy-to-use, quick sites and they won’t accept less, so ensure that your website is bright, beautiful, and easy to navigate. While it doesn’t have to look flashy, an outdated website doesn’t communicate that you’re a high-tech, modern practice, even if it is. Pay close attention to your pages on online review sites such as Yelp and Zocdoc, and respond in a reasonable manner to any negative reviews about your practice while keeping your patients’ privacy in mind.

Be mobile-friendlyWhile the stereotype of millennials walking around with their eyes glued to their phones is not flattering, the fact of the matter is that 97% of millennials use smartphones, and 20% of them have become mobile only! While that’s a huge reason to make sure your practice website is mobile-friendly,

another is that part of Google’s criteria to determine your site’s search engine ranking is based on its mobile friendliness.

Keep it simpleMillennials grew up in the age of Amazon, and they expect all online consumer interactions to be just as convenient. To earn their loyalty, offer a modern, efficient, and easy patient experience. Online booking is a must. This enables millennials to immediately request an appointment and do so at any time. Rather than having them spend as long as an hour filling out paperwork when they come to your office, provide an online portal where they can register from the comfort of their home.

Provide tablets at the office that patients can use to update their information, provide feedback, and even pay

their co-pays so they can do things at their own pace. Just make sure to have systems in place that make sure that patient information remains secure.

Engage responsibly in social mediaMore than two-thirds of millennials (69%) are on Facebook, and SDL reports that five out of six millennials connect with businesses, including medical practices, via social media networks. Make sure that your social media pages include contact information, as well as photos of your practice and team. If current patients have good experiences, encourage them to leave positive reviews on social media and review sites.Use social media channels to interact with millennial patients. Assign one staff

member to respond to questions on your social media platforms. Having a dedicated person can help ensure that all questions are answered in a timely manner.

They’re still just regular peopleWhen it all comes down to it, millennials aren’t that different from other patients. While it’s important to keep their preferences in mind, don’t oversell or you might seem like you’re trying too hard, which can make you look disingenuous. Determine how you want to be treated when you go into another dentist’s office, and give them the same courtesy you would want for yourself or your family. - www.dentistryiq.com, May 4, 2017, Aylin Cook

Engaging Millennial Patients: How Dental Practices Can Market To The New Generation

When it comes to

cybercrime that targets

practices, employees are

the largest risks.

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that will help protect the electronic health information of their patients.

While hospital systems might be more vulnerable than smaller healthcare or dental facilities, the fact remains that, as the industry continues to move to digital information systems, threats from hackers remain a very real danger. Steve Morgan, founder and Editor-in-Chief at Cybersecurity Ventures, says, “Outdated systems, lack of experienced cyber personnel, highly valuable data, and added incentive to pay ransoms in order to regain patient data, are magnetizing hackers to the healthcare market.”

One of the most effective ways dental and other healthcare organizations can stave off cyberattacks is to simply be prepared. Cybersecurity threats have become a way of life, and, for healthcare organizations, they will continue to become more sophisticated and less easily avoidable.

The key to protecting patient data is to be equipped with the right technology tools that can help make such attacks more likely to fail. Morgan says, “Healthcare organizations have lagged the market in cyber defense spending, and they’ve suffered for it. They’ve been hacked into spending. Security has become just as important, if not more important, than digitizing patient records.” - www.dmdtoday.com, Sarah Handzel, May 25, 2017

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Tech Mini-Bytes

Goal Setting Doesn’t Work (And Santa Claus May Not Exist)By Darren Hardy

Use This App To Pinpoint Dangerous Drivers. The open road is full of jerks and road rages, and a new app is taking them on. Nexar asks you to mount your phone to your dashboard, and it will monitor surrounding traffic. If someone starts driving dangerously, it will ask if you want to record what’s going on with a 30-second video. The goal is to capture license plates of bad or hostile drivers. This is useful if you witness a crash or a criminal offense. According to trafficsafetystore.com, Nexar also uploads data to a central database. It will let you know if someone with a bad driving history enters the camera’s field of vision, helping you spot potential bad drivers. In the future, Nexar plans to use GPS to identify dangerous cars to the side and behind them, too.Safety Resource Center - December 1, 2016

WHERE HAVE TABLET SALES GONE? Remember when they said tablets would outsell desktop and laptop computers? That now seems a tad optimistic. In March, Techcrunch.com reported that tablet sales are going down. But why? It turns out that folks treat tablets like computers — meaning they don’t upgrade them nearly as often as smartphones. “The iPad 2 is still in use today,” IDC

Senior Analyst Jitesh Ubrani tells TechCrunch. “The [original] iPad Minis and Air are all still in use today. They were being supported by Apple until very recently. People have been hanging onto these devices and they’re finding that they work just as well as they did when they were released.”. That’s bad news for the tablet giants, who are still releasing new versions of tablets at least once a year. In the future, don’t expect big releases or online unveilings for slates.Techcrunch.com March 21, 2017

SHOULD YOU HAVE A MOBILE APP FOR YOUR BUSINESS? One of the great things about apps is that you don’t need to be a big developer or company to build one. In fact, according to smallbusinesscomputing.com, 42 percent of small business in the United States have their own mobile app. By the end of the year, that figure is expected to hit 67 percent! Somewhat unsurprisingly, the most cited reason SMBs said they decided to build mobile apps is to increase sales (39 percent), followed by improving customers service (30 percent). Others turn to mobile apps as a competitive advantage in specific markets (22 percent) while for some organizations, their parent company

suggested an app (10 percent). But with apps becoming more affordable than ever, there are lots of reasons to invest in your own app — and lots of ways to recoup that investment. What would your ideal app do?SmallBusinessComputing.com March 09, 2017

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Airport Jacket – Cargo jacket for Travel. If you always find yourself forking out for excess baggage every time you take a flight, then an Aussie-based startup has come up with an ingenious solution that’ll have you confidently packing the kitchen sink for your next trip. The “Airport Jacket” is, for all intents and purposes, a wearable suitcase. With a whopping 14 pockets and two detachable pocket panels capable of taking up to 15 kgs. (about 33 lbs.) of stuff, your only concern will be ensuring your legs don’t give way as you stagger toward the check-in desk. The jacket — with all the stuff inside — can be quickly transformed into a small bag so you only need to put it on when you arrive at the airport. Once you’re through check-in and on the plane, you can fold it back up again before throwing it into one of the overhead bins. Digital Trends – February 26, 2017

When we were kids, we thought we could write down a list of everything we wanted and mail it to the North Pole. When we grew up, we realized there wasn’t really a big roly-poly guy who delivered presents. A real person had to earn the money, march through shopping malls, wrestle the presents home, wrap them up, and place them under the tree. But I think many people still believe in Santa Claus. Why else would they write down a list of wants on New Year’s Day, stick it in a drawer for the rest of the year, and wait around for their lives to change?

Sorry, but it’s time to grow up. Most people know how to write down goals, but few ever achieve them. Want to stop chasing rainbows, wishing on stars, and rubbing lamps, and instead achieve real results? This article will help you start.

WARNING: Achievement requires work, discipline, commitment, and maybe some heartache and a stiffened spine. If any of that makes you queasy, I invite you to continue reading.

The Cause of All Your Problems — and the Solution

When I ask people what they want to improve in their lives, I hear things like, “I need to make more money,” or “My marriage is unhappy,” or “I need to lose weight.”

But these are simply symptoms or outcomes of the problem. The cause of the problem is you — and this is probably one of the most sobering understandings you can reach as you work toward your stated goals. Whatever it is you want to change, whether it’s your marriage, financial situation, or weight, you’ll never achieve lasting change until you change. Once you improve, everything else around you will improve.

In life, you don’t get what you want; you get in life what you are. The success you have in life correlates with your level of self-worth. But the human tendency is to engage in the study of effects, while giving little attention to causes.

I see this travesty play out every day. People complain about their terrible marriage, so they leave it. Oddly enough, they end up with similar problems in the next relationship. Why? Because they didn’t address the real problem. The same set of circumstances and patterns of behavior will create the same outcome. Some people go from diet plan to diet plan, losing weight and then gaining it all back. Why? Because the plan and the weight aren’t the issues or the solutions; they are effects, and the weight will ultimately meet them back where they are.

Wherever you are in life right now is your own doing — good or bad.

Shiny New Gadget Of The Month:

OctoGripper, The Octopus-Inspired Robotic Arm, Is Here

The animal kingdom is a reliable place to turn for mechanical inspiration. The German automation company Festo just made a robotic arm that takes its cue from an octopus. Meet the OctoGripper!

Festo figured it’s hard to beat the octopus’ flexibility. Built with a soft silicone structure that can be pneumatically controlled, the device bends inward to grip an item with two rows of suction cups. These create a vacuum, allowing the gripper to hold onto objects tightly while moving quickly — a common challenge in robotics.

This isn’t the only thing Festo is taking from nature. They want to see the OctoGripper incorporated into their BionicMotion Robot, which is inspired by an elephant’s trunk. These could work side by side with humans, perhaps speeding up work.

Or they could pair up with Boston Dynamics and start the best robotic zoo this side of “Horizon: Zero Dawn.”

P.O. Box 681 | Columbus | IN 47202T: 812-314-6724 | E: info@sagester.com | www.sagester.com

Sagester Associates Group provides dental practices with the latest, most advanced technology solutions for dentists in Indiana, Kentucky and the Midwest area. For over 15 years, we have earned a reputation as the preferred supplier of computer technology solutions for dentists who are serious about their practice.

Sagester Associates Group is focused exclusively on the dental industry. Dental technology solutions are all we do. We are experts at it, and no one knows more. Our superior service and dental practice knowledge is our core attribute and the real distinction that separates us from typical computer

system providers.

Need help? Just have a question?

Call us at 812-314-6724 or email at info@sagester.com.

Sagester Associates Group, Inc.P.O. Box 681Columbus, IN 47202

Inside This Edition:

How To Keep Your Employees From

Leaking Confidential Information