Modern dental practices increasingly rely on technology to manage patient information and run smoothly. This naturally increases the likelihood of dental practices being targeted by cyber-attacks that threaten to erode their reputation and put client confidentiality at risk.

This begs the question—how do you stop cyber criminals from exploiting vulnerabilities in your dental practice’s digital infrastructure? Software updates help dental practices address this issue.

Read on to find out more.

They Prevent Cyber Attackers From Targeting Outdated Computer Systems

One of the main ways software updates help dental practices is by providing crucial patches to counter evolving cyber threats. Unfortunately, there have been (and will continue to be) numerous cyber threats that use tactics like sending fake emails to customers with infected attachments that hold their data for ransom.

Dental practice software updates stop attackers from exploiting outdated computer systems to gain access to sensitive patient data using innovative cyber-attack tactics. The key is to leave software updates in the hands of an expert-managed IT service provider who specializes in staying one step ahead of evolving cyber threats.

They Strengthen Dental Practice Compliance with HIPAA Regulations

Another crucial benefit of regular dental practice software updates is linked to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA requires dental practices to implement countermeasures against patient data breaches stemming from attacks such as ransomware and phishing.

Regular software updates help dental practices avoid expensive HIPAA non-compliance fines by eliminating these vulnerabilities. This reduces the practice’s costs in the long run, boosting the bottom line.

They Ensure the Dental Practice Has the Latest Encryption Methods in Place to Protect Patient Data

Data encryption is only worthwhile if cyber attackers don’t have the means of decrypting it. Fortunately, software updates help dental practices take advantage of the latest encryption methods so unauthorized individuals can’t access or read sensitive patient data.

Some of the latest encryption methods include the Advanced Encryption Standard, Transport Layer Security (to encrypt communications between dentists and patients), and Public Key Infrastructure (which uses two keys to encrypt/decrypt data).

Foris IT Management’s Team Specializes In Providing Software Updates To Help Dental Practices In Texas Go From Strength To Strength

A patient smiling at a dentist

Why spend precious time handling complex software updates when you can get our dental IT support specialists at Foris IT Management to do it for you? We provide comprehensive managed IT services to help dental practices in Texas stay on top of software updates. We also assist with secure data backups on both local and cloud servers to help dentists comply with HIPAA regulations.

If you’re eager to partner with a top-rated dental IT service to optimize your practice’s digital systems and improve operational efficiency without breaking the bank, we’re here for you.

Contact us now to book a free consultation.