Challenge
- Consolidating and centralizing security management and services with a single, integrated platform
- Providing business continuity, with consistent, transparent security for multiple locations
- Safeguarding healthcare locations against advanced malware and ransomware
- Protecting vital patient data against breaches and threats
- Improving and measuring user security awareness
- Simplifying compliance and reporting in accordance with healthcare regulations
Solution
Sophos Intercept X Advanced
Sophos Intercept X Advanced for Server
Sophos Central Device Encryption
Sophos Mobile
Sophos Phish Threat
Result
1- Consolidating and centralizing security management:
- Implement a unified security management platform that integrates various security tools and services.
- Use Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions to centralize monitoring and management of security events.
2- Providing business continuity:
- Develop a robust business continuity plan that includes redundancy, failover mechanisms, and disaster recovery procedures.
- Implement virtual private networks (VPNs) or other secure connections for remote locations to ensure consistent security.
3- Safeguarding healthcare locations against advanced malware and ransomware:
- Deploy advanced threat detection systems to identify and mitigate malware and ransomware attacks.
- Educate staff on cybersecurity best practices and the dangers of phishing.
4- Protecting vital patient data against breaches and threats:
- Encrypt sensitive patient data both in transit and at rest.
- Implement access controls and strong authentication mechanisms to limit unauthorized access to patient records.
5- Improving and measuring user security awareness:
- Conduct regular security awareness training for healthcare staff and measure their awareness through simulated phishing exercises.
- Provide ongoing education on the latest security threats and best practices.
6- Simplifying compliance and reporting:
- Use healthcare compliance management software to streamline compliance efforts and generate required reports.
- Ensure that security policies and procedures align with healthcare regulations and standards.
D4C Dental Brands has big ambitions.
As the largest pediatric dental and orthodontic specialty network in the U.S., the organization supports high quality oral healthcare for children. It provides participating dentists with opportunities to network and collaborate with their peers and pursue continuing education to maintain licensure and expand their knowledge. Originally established in Georgia, the organization now has 150 locations in multiple states, including South Carolina, Florida, Maryland. D4C Dental has set its sights on doubling its footprint this year.
From human resources to IT security to revenue cycle support, D4C Dental’s charter is to provide its practitioners with centralized services. As D4C Dental CIO Cliff Hogan states, “The dental practices in our group get the benefit from having a team, as opposed to just one or two people looking after things. And that doesn’t necessarily mean replacing people. It’s more about offloading administrative and technical burdens from them and reallocating their staff so that they can provide better patient care.”
This expansion into new regions prompted Hogan to embark on an initiative to consolidate and centralize IT security services under one umbrella, which means integrating and standardizing networks, best practices, and security. Hogan’s main impetus behind this effort is to ensure that the practices in D4C Dental’s network provide superior patient care, rather than concern themselves with cybersecurity issues.
Hogan needed a comprehensive security solution that would be easy for his team to manage and that would give the organization and its practitioners the protection and security they needed to function seamlessly.