{"id":11999,"date":"2017-06-06T07:00:36","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T12:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=11999"},"modified":"2020-10-13T18:31:37","modified_gmt":"2020-10-13T23:31:37","slug":"for-senior-care-business-owners-how-safe-is-your-clients-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2017\/06\/for-senior-care-business-owners-how-safe-is-your-clients-data\/","title":{"rendered":"For Senior-Care Business Owners: How Safe Is Your Clients’ Data?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Senior-Care Business Owners: How Safe Is \"For<\/a>Your Clients’ Data?<\/h1>\n

The healthcare industry led the way in suffering security breaches in 2016, but some of the most common ways hackers can steal your clients’ data are easy to prevent \u2013 if you know what to do. If you own or manage a senior living community or in-home care service<\/b><\/a>, here’s what you need to know to protect your business and your clients.<\/p>\n

According to a report in Healthcare Informatics, data breaches within the industry rose by 40% from 2015 to 2016. In 2016, the report said, the healthcare industry led in the number of stolen Social Security numbers<\/b><\/a>; phishing, hacking, and skimming attacks; and employee mistakes that led to data loss. Because seniors are the largest group of healthcare consumers<\/b><\/a> in the US, and because \u201colder adults are among the most likely victims of identity theft<\/b><\/a> and abuse,\u201d according to the Center for Identity at UT-Austin, it’s critical that providers of senior care protect their clients–and protect themselves from liability by following proper security practices.<\/p>\n

Why healthcare businesses are such a target for data thieves<\/h2>\n

Healthcare data is big business for organized criminals because it’s detailed. With a person’s name, date of birth, address, Social Security number, and Medicare or Medicaid information, data thieves can make money through \u201cidentity theft and cloning<\/b><\/a> the identities of everyday people,\u201d per the Verizon 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report.<\/p>\n

These stolen identities can then be used to open credit card accounts and even purchase property\u2014all while putting the victim at financial risk. Breaches also expose healthcare providers to possible fines. In 2016, the\u00a0six biggest HIPAA settlement fines<\/a> <\/b>were all over $2 million.<\/p>\n

Smaller doesn’t mean safer from data threats<\/h2>\n

Those fines were paid by hospital systems, medical schools, and universities, but thieves go after smaller healthcare targets, too. This is true in many industries, including online retail and restaurants, because thieves know that many small businesses go unguarded or don’t invest in the latest tools and training to protect client data.<\/p>\n

How healthcare businesses lose clients’ data<\/h2>\n

How, exactly, did thieves steal healthcare data in 2016? In more than 80% of the cases, according to Verizon, the three largest data-breach causes in the industry were<\/p>\n