IT Security Checklist for Medical and Dental Offices in Houston
Medical and dental offices handle sensitive patient information and depend on imaging and practice software every day. This checklist covers the technical side. Your attorney or compliance advisor covers the legal side.
Technical safeguards to check
- Unique logins for every person, with no shared passwords at the front desk.
- Multi-factor authentication for email and remote access.
- Encryption on laptops, workstations that leave the office and backups.
- Patching for workstations, servers, imaging computers and the firewall.
- Tested backups of practice management data, images and servers, with at least one off-site copy.
- Access limits: staff see only what their role needs.
- Activity logs kept for key systems.
- Separate guest Wi-Fi from the clinical network.
- Secure disposal of old computers and drives.
- Security training for staff, with a record of completion.
Special concerns for practices
Imaging and practice software often runs on older systems that vendors must approve for updates. We work with your software vendors so updates do not break the system. Server databases such as dental imaging and practice management data need backups that handle open databases correctly.
Legal and compliance questions
HIPAA and Texas privacy rules involve legal interpretation. Ask your attorney or compliance advisor what applies to your practice, and what paperwork you need. We implement and document the technical controls they require.
How we help
We support medical and dental offices across greater Houston, including The Woodlands, Katy, Sugar Land and Spring. See our IT compliance page, then ask for a free assessment of your office.
Common questions
What IT security does a dental office need?
Unique logins, MFA, encryption, patching, tested backups, a business firewall, staff training and a response plan. We set these up and monitor them.
Is a free email account like Gmail OK for patient information?
Ask your compliance advisor. Business email with security controls is the safer choice, and we can set up Microsoft 365 for your practice.
How long should a medical practice keep backups?
Retention depends on legal and business requirements. Ask your attorney, then we configure the backups to match.
Can you work with our practice software vendor?
Yes. We coordinate with vendors on updates, remote access and support.
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