Reuben Kamp of Darkhorse Tech has been up to his ears in IT work since COVID-19’s spur of workplace changes, particularly the widespread work-from-home shift many of us have experienced. Personally, I began by having my staff members use their own at-home technology to tap into my practice from afar. When I told Reuben about this, he shook his head firmly and said that I needed to get a laptop shipped in with a series of protections and regulations installed by Darkhorse immediately. 

According to Reuben, there is an extremely increased risk in data breaches when folks work from home. Using the family laptop to work not only allows other family members access to our servers full of restricted information, but it also gives hackers an easy access point into your confidential files. 

The secure environment of your on-premises server may no longer be an option for those of us working with a skeletal crew in need of our team’s remote support. Because of this, Darkhorse’s team has been continually approached with remote access requests from existing clients and other dentists doing their best to navigate this pandemic as safely as possible. 

To get started quickly, Reuben recommends that the minimum protections we have in place include anti-virus software and a firewall as our first line of defense. To take it up a few steps, ensure that there is at least a two-factor identification system in place for every personal device logging into a confidential database. While he hopes this won’t be needed, in case something goes wrong and there is a security breach or other issue, it’s smart to have a backup system in place that an IT company like Darkhorse can make available. 

If you were thinking of changing to a cloud-based Practice Management Software, this slower time may be the ideal opportunity to switch. Personally, I am a big fan of Open Dental. The COVID-19 induced changes give even us cloud-based users some time to look into all our software has to offer, allowing us to get the most out of our investment.

Not only this but if you have a physical server sitting in the back of your office collecting dust, it’s time to start cleaning up that area. As Reuben says, technology and dust do not go well together. After hours, turn off your server and do some maintenance on the exterior, wiping off dust and crumbs. While your team is at it, have everyone clean their work stations and evaluate what they have going on in their IT realm. 

Reuben’s final notes touched back on the necessities of remote access work. Make sure when you’re purchasing an anti-virus system that it is managed. Your firewall is your first line of defense and once it’s crossed, it’s vital to have a paid version of antivirus that will ensure that you’re not using a compromised version of the anti-virus. 

If you don’t have the resources to ensure your team members are working solely from secure laptops, make sure that you don’t give them access to the whole server, instead, granting access to their work station at a single point. 

If there is anything Reuben can help you do, he has invited our group to reach out to him, whether we are already existing clients, or not.

Learn more about:

• Three essential server protections for at-home staff members
• The risks associated with unlimited server access 
• Suggestions to maximize the benefits of IT maintenance during COVID-19 slowdowns

 

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