Dental News - Two levels of digital security provide a backup plan with a backup plan

Dental Tribune USA

Thu. 8 April 2021

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PITTSTON, Pa., USA: For dental teams, patient care takes top priority each day, without question. Regular updates of antivirus, imaging and practice management software likely do not receive that same level of attention. This puts practitioners — and their patients — in a vulnerable position, susceptible to attacks on their invaluable data at every moment.

Benco Dental’s computer and software protection solution, BencoNET Managed Support, is designed to provide a level of continuous monitoring that answers the question every dentist should ask themselves today: “Who is looking out for my data?”

“Most offices don’t know they’ve been infected until it’s too late. Ransomware on a server will start encrypting files slowly and might go unnoticed. Before long, the office won’t have access to anything,” said Sean Poppe, technology and BencoNET sales specialist for Benco Dental, the nation’s largest independent dental distributor.

“At that point, even for an office with an updated backup of their files, a doctor is facing huge delays for their system to be reintegrated,” Poppe said. “If backups haven’t been checked recently, a doctor loses months of data. Worst case, if the backup can’t be salvaged, all their data is gone. With BencoNET Managed Support, we’re continually monitoring their network remotely, and preventing issues before they arise.”

Email reminders from software providers about updates and system backups can be easily overlooked in the hectic pace at a dental practice, noted Poppe. Even the most diligent doctors or office managers can lose track of those tasks temporarily, with grim outcomes as a result.

Poppe poses a few questions every doctor should consider at their practice:

Which version number of the antivirus software is in use?
When did the most recent Microsoft Windows update occur?
How well-versed is the team on updates to imaging and practice management software?

“Just because everything has been working smoothly for years at a dental practice, their imaging and practice management software versions might not be current. Six or seven updates can bring 1,000 changes all at once, making the software feel unfamiliar to the doctor and team,” Poppe said.

When a dentist purchases a FortiNet router and Threat Management package to halt incoming malware and viruses before they reach the computer server, they can elect to add BencoNET Managed Support. This monthly unlimited remote support includes the team’s unmatched expertise, at one third of the investment other similar services require.

According to Benco Dental, BencoNET Managed Support provides several levels of defense:

A BencoNET Managed Support team of experts who continuously monitor dental practice systems to ensure that backups and antivirus software function properly.
Sophos Antivirus Software, an endpoint antivirus software that protects the server, in addition to workstations throughout the practice, such as those in the business office, operatories, hygiene rooms, consult rooms, and digital imaging areas, among others.

Medical records are more valuable to data thieves than Social Security or credit card numbers. When the responsibility for protecting this data feels overwhelming to a dentist, the BencoNET Managed Support team responds with vigilance.

“We’re continuously looking out for our customers, taking innovative steps to protect them and their patients,” added Poppe.

Those who wish to schedule a free consultation are invited to contact the BencoNET team at (800) GOBENCO, option #4 then option #2, or send an email to software@benco.com.

(Source: Benco Dental)