At The Layt Clinic on Queensland’s Gold Coast, the team understands the impact a cyber attack can have on a small business.
Tina Layt, the clinic’s business and practice manager, says cyber criminals targeted another practice she knew, giving them a front-row view of the harm that can be caused.
“As a practice and business manager for a busy plastic surgeon, we take patient and practice data very seriously,” she says.
“Having seen another practice experience a cyber attack in the past few years, I understand the stress on doctors, staff and patients.”
The healthcare sector is a prime target for cyber criminals – as the type of personal and financial data medical practices manage is valuable on the dark web, where it can be sold and used to fuel criminal operations, identity fraud and reused for subsequent attacks.
Healthcare providers continue to top the list of sectors reporting notifiable data breaches to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
Mrs Layt says the clinic cares about their patients and their reputations, and they understand the responsibility of being entrusted with patient data.
That’s why she undertook the free Cyber Wardens program, and has applied the learnings to shore up the clinic’s cyber security processes.
“The Cyber Wardens training provides professional recognition and steps to help decrease the risk of the practice and personal data being compromised,” she says.
“It’s particularly important in the role of Practice Manager, as we need to lead by example by implementing processes to minimise risk to the practice, staff and patients.
“Practice managers deal with a lot of personal and financial data and it’s reassuring for our employers to know we are certified reliable in protecting the practice.”
She says she has also recommended the free program to the clinic’s plastic surgeons, staff and practice manager groups “because everyone needs to be cyber-secure both at home and at work”.
