Digital data breaches go well beyond debit or credit card theft. In fact, it is fair to say that debit and credit card theft is the least of your worries.
Your bank and credit card companies have safeguards in place to return your funds to you, but most other data cannot be retrieved once breached. Even when stolen data is recovered and new security is put in place, the breached information is in the hands of the hacker.
With the increasing amount of private, sensitive and business-critical data stored digitally, this can be detrimental. Chris Albright of CMIT Solutions of Centreville has some tips for minimizing your risk of a data breach.
Understand the Need for Security
Many businesses and everyday individuals severely underestimate their level of risk. You might be a small or mid-sized business, but the data you store digitally can be a hacker’s goldmine. Take a look at some of the major organizations who have been breached in the last couple of years.
- The Pennsylvania hack of the Department of Education’s website compromised the information of 360,000 employees.
- The City of Atlanta’s recent ransomware attack halted essential municipal services, leading to ATL airport shutting down their Wi-Fi.
- Due to deceiving third-party agreements, 50 million Facebook users unknowingly had their posts, private messages, and data accessed without their consent.
- The 2016 Banner Health cyberattack exposed the private health information of 3.7 million patients in 27 locations across the nation. This type of data can sell for 10 times more than credit card information.
- The Equifax credit reporting bureau was breached in 2017 leading to 147.9 million Americans’ personal information being leaked, placing all involved at higher risk for identity theft.
- The 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack was the largest in history and affected thousands of businesses and individuals from around the globe.
If these organizations can be breached, many of whom must comply with strict industry digital data storage regulations, SMBs and everyday online accounts are vulnerable as well.
Reducing Your Risk
First and foremost, there is no way to 100 percent guarantee that your data will never be breached. but there is much you can do to reduce the likelihood:
Passwords: Change your passwords at least twice a year. Use strong passwords, preferably with a password manager that encrypts your passwords. Password protect all electronic devices, as many of them auto–login to all the accounts you’ve logged into. Also, upload a lockout feature so that if your device is lost or stolen, passwords are erased.
Delete: Delete old digital accounts that you no longer use, or you may forget about them and the information they contain. Also, create a list of all online accounts and mobile apps that require logins. Even a one-time purchase to an e-commerce site can lead to a data breach, from a place you don’t even remember ordering from.
Be mindful of what you share: Your Facebook profile alone shares information such as where you were born, where you went to school, your kids’ names, your pets’ names and more. These are often the answers to three-factor authentication designed to improve your security. Never ever share, electronically or in person, your login information. Look through your Facebook messenger feed, you may be surprised at the amount of personal information you share there. You may want to reconsider going forward.
Never open suspicious emails: It’s easier said than done as hackers are good at sounding legitimate. This is particularly challenging at work where you won’t know everyone who sends you an email. If you open something that feels fishy, follow your company’s procedures to scan your device. If at home, run a security scan on your own.
Improve your security: Upgrade to newer software and technology, such as from a magnetic strip debit card to an EMV card if it’s available. Upgrade your website with an SSL Certificate. Perform all software and app updates ASAP, as they contain security patches and updates. Encrypt your data. Restrict remote login. Set up automated alerts for abnormal activity, such as on your debit card when you travel or make an unusually large purchase. Have a digital security professional scan your network and devices for security risks and set up an automated system for determining a hack or data breach.
Stay up to date: Online security is constantly evolving, so you must keep up. What minimizes your risks today may not be relevant in a year or less.
We are at a point at which we don’t think twice about our most private and personal information being stored digitally. For example, you may even communicate with your physician via email or use health and fitness apps in which you store in-depth health information. Just a decade ago we would have been a bit more mindful, but the convenience and functional factors have become of such great benefit that we will continue to store more information digitally, not less. This means data breach security must be top of mind for personal use, professional use and even for the kids in our family.
CMIT Solutions of Centreville provides a strategic approach to IT consulting that improves the performance of your business technology in the most cost-effective way possible. Assisting businesses across Northern Virginia, CMIT Centreville can help you achieve the fastest return on your technology investment. Call 703-881-7738 today to see how CMIT Centreville can help your business stay in business.
The team at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is dedicated to serving our patients every day.
One group is recognized for their hard work- not just inside the hospital, but outside the walls as well.
The ICU Team was named this year’s Daisy Team Award winners.
This team spearheaded an initiative to serve food and provide dry, clean toiletries to a nearby homeless encampment, and this meant coming in several weekends to sort and prepare donated items.
Then, on the weekend they were serving food- it poured! The team didn’t give up though, they toughed it out- and many folks who might have gone hungry that day had a hot meal.
The Daisy Foundation was formed by the Barnes Family in 1999 after the loss of their 33-year-old son J. Patrick Barnes. The nursing care that their son received when hospitalized profoundly touched his family, and they wanted to recognize nurses that provide exceptional care…while often stating, “I am just doing my job.”
Your jobs touch the hearts and lives of more than you know. The Daisy Foundation was developed to celebrate nurses.
The Daisy Nurse award is presented quarterly to SNVMC nurses who meet a high standard of care provided. The award was developed for the celebration of nurses who provide extraordinary compassionate and skillful care every day.
The Daisy Team award is presented yearly.
Hematology Oncology Associates of Fredericksburg (HOAF), a healthcare organization recognized for providing world-class cancer care in state-of-the-art facilities, is expanding its practice to a second location in Stafford County that will offer the same level of care and treatment for cancer patients across a wider range of the Northern Virginia region.
The 7,048 square-foot cancer care office, located at 125 Woodstream Boulevard in Stafford and scheduled to open on Monday, May 14, will be known as Hematology Oncology Associates of Fredericksburg at Stafford.
HOAF officials believe that the new location in Stafford County will have a positive impact on health outcomes throughout the Northern Virginia region by increasing access to cancer specialists and advanced cancer therapies.
“Many of the patients who currently come to our offices in Fredericksburg live in the rapidly-growing North Stafford area,” said Dr. Charles L. Maurer, president of HOAF. “We saw a need to help patients in Stafford County, as well as those in Prince William County and other localities along the I-95 corridor, stay closer to home for their appointments and treatments.”
When HOAF at Stafford opens, the six physicians in the Fredericksburg location will rotate to Stafford weekly. Also, there will be a dedicated nurse practitioner and staff to provide consistent, compassionate care for patients. The Stafford facility will offer the same leading-edge services that are available at the Fredericksburg office.
HOAF offers a full spectrum of comprehensive services to treat all forms of adult cancers. A snapshot listing of services includes:
• Hematology
• Medical Oncology
• Infusion
• Chemotherapy
• Iron Replacement
• Holistic Care
• In-house Physician Dispensary
• Surveillance Clinic
“By elevating the quality of care in North Stafford with our second location, we’re keeping patients and their families in the community,” said Dr. Maurer. “Our passion is our patients and we are deeply committed to supporting them every step of way on the journey to recovery.”
Dr. Maurer also noted that renovations to the existing office in Fredericksburg are underway, which will expand the research department and increase the size of the pharmacy, among other improvements. “These exciting initiatives align with HOAF’s long-term goals for future growth of the practice,” he concluded.
To learn more about HOAF and its capabilities for cancer care, visit hoafredericksburg.com.
For millions of women, it’s an issue they’re all too familiar with and it’s something they deal with every day.
April 22-28 is designated National Infertility Awareness Week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate 1 in 8 couples have trouble conceiving, that’s 15% of American couples.
It’s something Dr. Richard Jenet, Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Women’s Health Center at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and practicing physician at About Women OB/GYN, sees too often.
“We often times have to really calm people down. People get really anxious if they try for one month and haven’t gotten pregnant,” he explains.
Dr. Jenet says when a patient comes to him wanting to start a family, he starts with the basics – getting blood work and taking both general and reproductive histories.
“We talk about some healthy life choices and have people try to get pregnant on their own. Unless there’s something obvious, we don’t talk about infertility until after a year of trying.”
Most couples get pregnant within that year, but if not, Jenet starts looking at other factors, “Several items are taken into account: age, weight, health conditions and lifestyle, just to name a few.”
If there are no obvious problems, Dr. Jenet says that’s when a reproductive endocrinologist is recommended to help pinpoint the issue.
But, Jenet says the advances in medicine, over his nearly 30 years in practice, allow women more alternatives than ever before, “There are more medications. There are more treatments. There are a lot more options.” And, that means more hope for women trying to get pregnant.
To learn more about OB/GYN or endocrinology services near you, call 1-800-SENTARA or go to sentara.com.
Potomac Local Parents is a monthly column that looks at life through the eyes of real parents. This month, we interview Carrie.
What time you do wake up?
5:45am
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WOODBRIDGE — On Monday, April 2, 2018, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center ushered in a new level of care with the introduction of left-sided pulmonary vein ablation. The Sentara Heart & Vascular Team, led by Dr. Aysha Arshad, Medical Director of Electrophysiology, performed the first of its kind procedure for the hospital.
“This is wonderful for our community,” says Dr. Arshad. “This means the beginning of more complex procedures in the Electrophysiology Lab here at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, which opens up these vital services to members of our community. They won’t have to travel long distances for care because our highly experienced staff and physicians are the same that are working in all the top hospital centers in the area.”
Left-side pulmonary vein ablation or pulmonary vein isolation is used to treat Atrial Fibrillation, also known as AFib. AFib is a type of heart arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat that an estimated seven million Americans live with every day.
In atrial fibrillation, disorganized electrical signals originate in the heart’s upper chambers, or atria, causing the rhythm to be irregular. Because the contractions are not coordinated as in a normal heartbeat, the heart does not pump blood effectively to the rest of the body causing patients to experience a racing or quivering heartbeat, dizziness, shortness of breath and often feel tired.
People with AFib have a five times greater risk for stroke.
After living with the condition for three-years, Woodbridge resident Claudia Warszawski, was looking for relief.
“I’m a very active 67-year-old. I walk three days a week at the mall and I just couldn’t keep up my pace. I’d have to stop and it was irritating,” said Warszawski.
After consulting with the grandmother of five and reviewing her history, Dr. Arshad shared she was a perfect candidate for the procedure.
As the Electrophysiology program at Sentara Heart & Vascular Center has grown, so have the services. Left-sided ablation is the latest advancement of the program. In ablation, areas of tissue in the heart that cause arrhythmias are destroyed.
“In left-sided procedures, where AFib comes from, it involves tackling circuits on the left side of the heart. There’s no natural passage to the left side of the heart, so we enter through a vein in the leg and travel to the chest where we make a tiny puncture in the interatrial septum with a small needle and pass a catheter through that tiny hole to the left side of the heart. From there we create a 3D map of the heart and get to the circuits that cause AFib,” explains Dr. Arshad.
After the procedure is completed and the catheter removed, the tiny hole heals on its own over the next four weeks. A chip, implanted in the chest at the time of the procedure, allows real-time monitoring of the patient.
“It’s the whole advent of real-time telemedicine,” explains Dr. Arshad, “The device will track her rhythm all day and at night transcribe it into a report, which will be emailed to me that evening. The device downloads all that data so I’ll know how she’s going to do long-term.”
As for Warszawski, days after her procedure she’s already feeling better, “This gives me a new lease to live the life I want before I was tired and always had heart palpitations and flutters. Now, I can’t even feel my heart beating, and that’s a good thing!”
If you’re experiencing a racing, fluttering, pounding or irregular heartbeat, don’t ignore those symptoms, find a healthcare provider at 1-800-SENTARA or Sentara.com to schedule your exam.
From a press release:
The Prince William County Animal Shelter’s annual “Help a Horse” Day is Sunday, April 29. To help observe this important day, the Animal Shelter is sponsoring an art contest for middle school students who live in Prince William County. This is the last call for entries!
The theme is “Horse Feathers,” and all artwork must include an equine animal and be the original work of the exhibitor. Computer-generated artwork is not accepted.
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And if the name of this new experiential tourism trail doesn’t catch your eye, maybe the sound will. Say it aloud. It rhymes. It has rhythm. Who doesn’t love a bacchanalian motif?
Music and poetry aside, the “Steins, Vines and Moonshine Trail” promises to be lots of fun. The trail includes nearly twenty craft breweries, wineries and distilleries. Beverage producers and tasting rooms are located throughout the Prince William area, including Haymarket, Woodbridge, Nokesville, Lake Ridge, Gainesville and Manassas.
“Visitors and residents seek experiences now more than ever, and this trail adds just a small flavor of things to come,” says Ann Marie Maher, Director of Tourism for the Prince William County Office of Tourism.
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