3 Cybersecurity Tips for Chiropractors: Protecting Your Patients and Practice

The internet has transformed how modern chiropractic clinics operate. From digital patient records to online scheduling and billing, these conveniences have become essential. However, with them comes a critical responsibility: protecting your patients’ sensitive health information from cyber threats.

While cybersecurity can seem daunting, securing your practice doesn't have to be complicated. By taking a few straightforward steps, you can significantly reduce your risk and build a foundation of trust with your patients. Here's what every chiropractor needs to know.

1. Use Strong Passwords and 2FA

Let's be honest: password123 isn't a secure password. A strong password should be at least 16 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Even more importantly, every single account should have a unique password. While this can feel overwhelming, a password manager can help you securely store and manage your passwords without the hassle of remembering them all. Using strong, unique passwords for each account prevents a single breach from giving attackers access to multiple accounts, greatly reducing the risk of identity theft or unauthorized access.

Beyond a strong password, two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a crucial layer of security. 2FA requires a second piece of information, like a code sent to your phone or generated by an app, to verify your identity. While any form of 2FA is better than none, using a dedicated authenticator app or a physical security key is generally more secure than relying on text messages. This extra step makes it significantly harder for attackers to gain access to your account, even if your password is compromised, because they would also need the second factor to log in.

Action Checklist:

• Create unique passwords for every account.

• Use a password manager to store and manage complex passwords.

• Enable 2FA on all accounts whenever possible.

2. Recognize and Avoid Phishing and Smishing Scams

Phishing is one of the most common cyber threats, and it's a constant danger to businesses of all sizes. Phishing scams are fraudulent emails designed to trick you or your staff into revealing sensitive information, clicking a malicious link, or downloading harmful software.

Smishing, a close relative of phishing, uses text messages to achieve the same goal. As we spend more time on our phones, hackers have increasingly targeted this medium with links that lead to malicious websites.

Here's how to spot these scams:

• Suspicious Sender Address: The email may look like it's from a familiar company, but the address is slightly misspelled or off (e.g., "support@paypall.com" instead of "paypal.com"). For text messages, the sender might be a strange or unfamiliar number.

• Urgent or Threatening Language: Messages that create a sense of panic, such as "Your account will be suspended in 24 hours" or "Immediate action required," are designed to make you act quickly without thinking.

• Unexpected Attachments or Links: Be extremely cautious of any links or attachments you weren't expecting, even if they look legitimate. If you're unsure, don't click anything. If a link asks for your login, close it and go to the official website by typing the address into your browser yourself.

• Spelling and Grammar Mistakes: Professional organizations and businesses rarely send emails with obvious errors.

If a message or text seems "off," your best bet is not to click anything. Instead, contact the company or person directly through a trusted channel you already know, such as their official website or a phone number you have on file.

Action Checklist:

• Train your staff to recognize phishing emails and smishing texts.

• Don't click on suspicious links or download unexpected attachments.

• When in doubt, verify the message through a known, trusted channel.

3. Keep Your Software Updated

Outdated software, whether it’s your computer’s operating system, phone apps, browser, or the tools you use for work, can open the door for hackers. Criminals look for weaknesses in old versions to break in. Software updates often contain important security fixes that close those gaps, so installing updates promptly helps keep your devices and information safe.

Action Checklist:

• Enable automatic updates on all computers, phones, and tablets used in your practice.

• Keep your practice management software up to date.

• Regularly update your website platform and plugins if you have a clinic site.

Want to ensure everyone in your clinic is on the same page? This shareable cybersecurity checklist is designed to help your team remember the most important steps to keeping your patients’ data secure.

You can download and print it for your office or share it digitally with your staff to reinforce good habits every day.

The Bottom Line

Cybersecurity isn't just an IT issue; it's a core part of protecting your practice and your patients' privacy. By implementing these simple, preventative measures, you can dramatically reduce your risk of a cyberattack. Your patients trust you with their health, and securing their personal information is a vital part of that trust.