878: 5 Cybersecurity Mistakes Dentists Make That Are Putting Their Businesses in Jeopardy – Travis Wentworth

Are you neglecting cybersecurity? You won't be starting today! In this episode of Practical Solutions Day, Kirk Behrendt brings in Travis Wentworth, cybersecurity expert from Intelligence Quest, to share five mistakes you're making that are putting your practice at risk. Cybersecurity is no longer an option! To learn how to protect your business from data breaches, financial losses, and other consequences, listen to Episode 878 of The Best Practices Show!

Learn More About Travis:

• Follow Travis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travis_iq
• Join Travis on Twitter: https://x.com/travisiq
• Watch Intelligence Quest on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@intelligencequest

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listen
• Join The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_US
• Join ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt
• See the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event
• Get The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine
• Please leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218

Episode Resources:

• Watch the video version of Episode 878: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videos
• Watch Travis’s “Cybersecurity: 5 Must-Know Tips for Small Businesses”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8vzAOGPMTQ
• Try LastPass: https://www.lastpass.com
• Try Bitwarden: https://bitwarden.com
• Try Signal: https://signal.org

Main Takeaways:

• Ensure that everyone on your team is vigilant.
• Be diligent when choosing an IT management group.
• Train your team to log off from their computers every day.
• Use your software as intended to keep your patients’ data secure.
• Practice good password management. Utilize a password manager.
• Never share passwords or use shared accounts. Decrease your exposure.
• Separate duties. There should always be an additional set of eyes for each task.
• Put office policies in place that will proactively address cybersecurity and other risks.

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

1:44 Travis’s background.

3:08 Where we are today with cybersecurity.

4:26 Make sure your team is vigilant.

6:37 Trends in email phishing.

8:29 Be diligent when choosing an IT management group.

10:01 Why dentists and medical offices are great targets.

11:45 Use your tech as it was intended.

15:15 Training and onboarding.

18:31 Practice good password management.

24:45 Why it’s important to log off of computers every day.

25:17 Don't use shared accounts.

29:17 Never give employees keys to the office.

31:54 Put office policies in place.

40:35 Final thoughts.

41:49 More about Travis and how to get in touch.

Travis Wentworth Bio:

Dr. Travis Wentworth has been training students in engineering, networking, and cybersecurity for over a decade. He received his PhD in engineering from the University of Kansas in 2015 and completed a Postdoctoral Research fellowship at the University of Chalmers in Gothenburg, Sweden. While there, he was part of the world-renowned research group led by Dr. Louise Olsson and had the privilege to work with the European Union, Swedish Research Council, Volvo, and Chalmers University.

As a researcher, instructor, and consultant, Travis has presented his technical content to far-reaching corners of the globe including China, Germany, and Sweden, to name a few. Returning to the United States in 2017, he narrowed his emphasis to cybersecurity and networking training.

Travis has a diverse background with a proclivity in the acquisition and analysis of public and proprietary data. He is a published author in numerous peer-reviewed journals for computer modeling and catalysis and is well-versed in programming, networking, data acquisition, and cybersecurity.