For acupuncturist Guann-Dih Lee, prevention is the best medicine - for both health and cyber security.
Key Takeaways:
- Protecting patients personal health information is the no. 1 priority
- As business owner Lee wears many hats getting locked out of an old hotmail account really impacted his business
- The answer: a secure booking system, encrypted and protected by regularly updated passwords
The third-generation Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner founded The Gentle Needle Guy in Brisbane and is challenging common fears around acupuncture.
“I wanted to create a brand that helped people feel at ease,” Lee says.
“Many are scared of needles, but acupuncture needles are thinner than hair. The insertion doesn’t really hurt. The goal is to work with your body to trigger its own healing response.”
Having trained in Sydney’s Chinatown and grown up immersed in TCM, Lee takes a holistic view of wellness – using ancient healing in a modern world.
He treats a wide range of concerns, from digestive problems and chronic pain to fertility, sleep disturbances, and hormonal imbalances.
Like many small business owners, Lee wears multiple hats.
He treats patients, manages appointments, and builds his brand on social media. But the more he does online, the more he understands the risks.
“I had an old Hotmail account hacked and I was locked out,” Lee explains. “All the verification codes went to an email or number that wasn’t mine. I never got back in. Cyber security for me is also really important as I am constantly creating social media content, and one of my friends who is a content creator, had their Instagram hacked. They were blackmailed, and it has made me extra cautious.”
He knows firsthand that it only takes one breach to lose access to a critical site or platform. And that risk becomes even greater when you’re running a business that handles sensitive health information.
“If a patient’s data got leaked – their name, address, their medical history – that’s a serious legal issue,” Lee says.
“Imagine if you look up your name and next thing you know you see personal health information, like you have haemorrhoids or something like that. That’s a nightmare.”
That’s why he is proactive about protecting his business.
While he uses a receptionist for some front-of-house duties, he ensures that all patient data is stored in a secure booking system, encrypted and protected by regularly updated passwords.
He accesses business systems only through secure browsers and keeps an eye out for suspicious logins.
He responds quickly to alerts, such as Google Chrome warnings of exposed passwords, by changing credentials immediately.
“It’s all about being cautious before something happens,” Lee says. “Once your account is gone, or your details are leaked, it’s too late.”
He also completed the Cyber Wardens training to strengthen his awareness of online risks.
He admits that while some aspects were new to him, it highlighted how simple mistakes – like password reuse or poor data storage practices – can open the door to attackers.
“Before doing the training, I didn’t realise how easily people could access your information,” he says. “It made me think more about what I’m doing online, especially with patient records and my business accounts.”
He particularly recommends the training to other small businesses who may feel cyber security isn’t relevant to them – until it’s too late.
“People only take it seriously after something goes wrong. Do it early and save yourself the stress later.”
For Lee, the top priorities include protecting social media accounts, which are key for business visibility and bookings, and preventing unauthorised access to patient data.
Whether it’s healing the body or protecting digital systems, Lee’s philosophy is the same: prevention is the best medicine.
Interested in becoming a Cyber Warden too?
Take the free training at cyberwardens.com.au.
