Internet Security Measures in Care Homes

As care homes increasingly integrate digital technologies (esp. since the pandemic) into their homes and daily operations, ensuring robust internet security measures is vital for the protection of your staff, business, and residents.

With sensitive resident information stored electronically and homes ever reliant on online platforms, safeguarding against cyber threats is crucial! From emails to video calls to storing care and medical records, the reliance on the internet being safe and secure has never been so important within the sector.

By understanding the risks, ensuring protective measures are in place, and raising cybersecurity awareness among your staff members, residents and their families, homes can reduce the likeness of threats effectively and continue to provide their residents with the highest standards of care in a secure environment.

Understanding the Risks

The Care Sector face a range of cyber threats which can compromise resident data, disrupt operations, and potentially steal information.

Common risks include:

1. Data Breaches: Unauthorised access to resident or staff records which can lead to identity theft, fraud, safeguarding issues and privacy violations.
2. Ransomware Attacks: Malicious software can encrypt critical files, rendering them inaccessible until a ransom is paid.
3. Phishing Scams: Fraudulent emails or messages may trick staff or residents connected to Wi-Fi into sharing sensitive information or clicking malicious links.
4. Network Vulnerabilities: Weaknesses in network infrastructure or outdated software and hardware can be exploited by cybercriminals to gain access into systems.

As of Jan 2024, over 24 million email scams have been reported in the UK. The main goal is to make you visit a website, which may download a virus onto your computer, or ask you to input your password into a website to steal your bank details or other personal information.

The websites often look extremely similar to an authentic site, but with minor changes, making it extremely difficult to spot that you are not on a genuine website.

Moving forward:

• Report a scam to help others from falling foul to criminal activity -https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-email
• Block the address the email came from, so you will no longer receive emails from this sender.
• Contact your IT manager or internet service provider so they can work with your hosting company to remove links to malicious websites.

Implementing Protective Measures

Care homes are a fast-paced environment with the care of their residents rightfully being the number one concern, but homes need to prioritise internet security measures.

We have put together a few key strategies which we recommend are implemented:

1. Firewall Protection: Installing and maintaining firewalls can help prevent unauthorised access to the care home’s network and block malicious traffic.
2. Antivirus Software: Regularly updating antivirus software can detect and remove malware, reducing the risk of infections. Do your research, and make sure the antivirus you have chosen is up to the task. As with all products, some are much better than others. Your internet or IT provider should be able to recommend the ideal antivirus solution for your business.
3. Secure Wi-Fi Networks: Implementing encrypted Wi-Fi networks with strong passwords can prevent unauthorised users from accessing your sensitive data.
4. Data Encryption: Encrypting resident data both in transit and at rest adds an extra layer of security, making it unreadable to unauthorised parties.
5. Use multi-factor authentication. MFA enables you to add an additional layer or two of security, as you will be required to verify your log in access. This may be a one-time code sent to your phone which you need to input, an email being sent to a secondary address with a code, or a link sent to an app on your mobile. One-Time-Passwords generate a new code each time an authentication request is submitted. MFA reduces the chances of an unauthorised user accessing any of your accounts    as they may penetrate the first layer of security but will be unable to move forward.
6. Regular Updates and Patch Management: Keeping software, operating systems, and firmware up to date with security patches helps address known vulnerabilities and minimise the risk of exploitation.
7. Employee Training: Educating staff members about cybersecurity best practices, such as identifying phishing attempts and creating secure passwords, can enhance awareness and reduce the likelihood of human error. There are a number of training providers and online courses who offer this training if you are not comfortable providing this in-house.
8. Access Control: Implementing access controls and user permissions ensures that only authorised individuals have access to sensitive resident information. You may have records who only require the home manager or accounts to view, so you can narrow down who has access to these records.
9. Incident Response Plan: Developing a comprehensive incident response plan enables care homes to respond effectively to cyber incidents, minimise damage, and restore normal operations swiftly. Work with your IT or Internet service provider if you are unsure how to create an IR plan. The plan will also tie in nicely with any business continuity plans you have in place.
10. Implement ‘best password practices’: We recommend using a password between 15 to 20 characters including letters and numbers. Where possible, use a mix of alphabetical and numeric, a mixture of upper and lowercase, and special characters such as ! or ?. Never use the same password twice or reuse existing passwords. The use of a password manager is strongly suggested.
11. Do not share data or login information: Never discuss your passwords with anyone as you have no control over who uses it, where they use it, how they use it, or who they share it with and if they are trustworthy. Avoid storing passwords on paper or digitally (unless it’s within a password manager), as this information can be stolen.

If you are concerned that you are missing any of the recommended key strategies, Orbital Net are here to provide you with free advice and guidance.

Please contact us to discuss any worries you have regarding your current internet security setup on solutions@orbital.net / 0330 324 4444, we have a team ready and willing to help. Further information can be found on our website: www.orbital.net.

We also work with a variety of managed services providers across Kent, so if you need any help with your IT infrastructure then we will be delighted to assist.