If you haven’t given your “internet of things” (IoT) devices much thought lately, now is the time. Our offices are inundated with gadgets that have bluetooth and wi-fi capabilities, all of which are great—but they may also pose a cyber-security risk. A survey of 517 US health care systems found that 71% of respondents said that their security risk due to IoT devices was high or very high, even though only 21% had well-thought-out security systems in place to protect those devices.1 Not only that, 47% of hospitals and medical facilities that experienced a cyber-security attack paid the ransom for their data (up to $500,000!).1 Yet another report found that the health care sector has held the title for highest breach-related financial damages for 12 years running—upwards of $10.1 million, on average.2 Ouch.

Whether we like it or not, retina practices are a part of that sector, and we are just as vulnerable as the next guy, unless we take precautions. This means, in addition to caring for patients, we need to take care of our IoT devices, too. None of us signed up to be cyber-security experts, and, as anyone who has ever set up their own home wi-fi network knows, it’s not always a walk in the park.

We are here to help. This issue of Retina Today Business Matters features an article that outlines steps we can take to shore up our data security. Some of the author’s advice is simple (assuming you think remembering multiple unique usernames and passwords is simple, without writing them down!). Some steps are a little more complicated, like keeping all our devices updated without interrupting the office workflow. The most important piece of advice is to always be mindful of cyber-security and never let your guard down. If you think you don’t have time to upgrade your operating system, just imagine the time it would take to work your way out of a cyber-attack situation.

Alan Ruby, MD
Section Editor

1. Fox A. Hospitals still don’t have a handle on their IoT devices. Healthcare IT News. August 9, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. www.healthcareitnews.com/news/hospitals-still-dont-have-handle-their-iot-devices

2. Landi H. Healthcare data breach costs reach record high at $10M per attack: IBM report. July 27, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/healthcare-data-breach-costs-reach-record-high-10m-attack-ibm-report