The following is a guest post on HITECH Answers by Mark Hollis, CEO and Co-Founder of MacPractice, Inc

It’s an accepted part of everyday life — people text, shop online, use social media platforms or browse the internet using whatever device they’re carrying or seated in front of, even at work. Many employers shrug off the thought of lost productivity, reasoning that if people weren’t online, they’d be chatting with coworkers or doing something else instead.

But it’s more than a productivity issue; connected devices can pose a significant risk to healthcare organizations. The fact is, many high-profile data breaches are traced back to employee error. Doctors’ offices and other clinical organizations are at risk, especially since many use cloud-based systems that are always connected, which can expose offices to malware infections.

Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight to the danger of hacking and malware such as ransomware. Experts expect the dangers to grow as hackers exploit new endpoints created by devices and sensors that are connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). Distributed Delay of Services (DdoS) attacks are also on the rise, making practices vulnerable to the loss of crucial operating systems.

Continue reading at HITECH Answers...