Take steps to protect your online information
Recently, a number of physicians’ business and personal email accounts have been breached and personal information stolen. While not many email accounts were affected, Doctors of BC is concerned there may be a targeted effort to hack into physicians’ emails. This is compromising the security of the physicians’ own information, and some of the stolen information has also been used to access PharmaNet patient accounts.
The RCMP and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner are investigating the breaches. The Canadian Medical Association and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC are aware of the incidents, and MD Financial Management and Doctors of BC are implementing added security.
All physicians are encouraged to be extra vigilant.
Recommendations include:
• Making sure your passwords are complex.
• Not sharing your password information.
• Adding three security questions to your Doctors of BC account that will activate when you need to reset your password.
Doctors of BC staff member Mr Patrick Wong has written a brief guide to creating complex passwords you can remember, which is available at www.doctorsofbc.ca/sites/default/files/dtotechnicalbulletin16-001-passwo....
To add three security questions to your Doctors of BC account, follow this link: www.doctorsofbc.ca/account/user/dobc_security_questions.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms Heather Hannah, risk and compliance officer, at 604 638-2839 or hhannah@doctorsofbc.ca.