One Click Can Make a Difference: Building Better Cybersecurity Habits

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a timely reminder that protecting sensitive information is a shared responsibility, particularly in healthcare.

At Amplify Care, cybersecurity isn’t something we simply talk about. As leads for Shield, our cybersecurity offering for healthcare organizations, we believe in putting strong security practices into action within our own organization, and one area we pay particular attention to is phishing.

Can You Spot a Phish?

Phishing remains one of the most common ways cybercriminals attempt to gain access to information, systems, and accounts. And as attacks become increasingly sophisticated, including through the use of AI, recognizing a suspicious message isn’t always as straightforward as it once was. That’s why building awareness and good habits is an important part of our approach to cybersecurity.

We regularly conduct phishing simulation exercises with our team to help keep cybersecurity top of mind. These exercises give employees an opportunity to practice recognizing suspicious messages in a safe environment and reinforce what to do when something doesn’t look right. Their cadence also helps make security awareness part of our regular rhythm rather than something employees think about only when there’s a security incident or an annual training requirement. The goal isn’t to catch people out. It’s to build confidence, strengthen awareness, and make the right response second nature.

We also encourage simple, practical habits such as:

• Pausing before clicking unexpected links or opening attachments
• Verifying unusual requests through a separate communication channel
• Using strong, unique passwords and a secure password manager
• Enabling multi-factor authentication wherever possible
• Rejecting unexpected MFA prompts
• Keeping devices locked when unattended
• Reporting suspicious messages promptly

Being trusted to support healthcare organizations with cybersecurity comes with an important responsibility: we need to practice what we preach. Our own phishing exercises, ongoing security awareness, and everyday security practices are part of that commitment.

Shield: Supporting Healthcare Professionals Without Adding to the Burden

Healthcare professionals already have enough demands on their time. Adding cybersecurity to an already-full list of responsibilities can feel overwhelming, but in healthcare, protecting information is especially important. Healthcare organizations hold some of the most sensitive personal information people entrust to an organization, from personal health information to personal and financial information. Protecting that data is an essential part of maintaining patient trust.

That’s why Shield has been designed to make cybersecurity practical and manageable for busy healthcare teams.

One of the ways Shield supports organizations is through monthly phishing exercises, similar to the ones we conduct for our own team internally. Rather than relying on a once-a-year training session, these short, ongoing exercises give users regular opportunities to recognize and to reinforce important security habits, from pausing before clicking a link to recognizing unusual requests and knowing when and how to report something suspicious. The goal is to build familiarity and confidence, so that identifying a suspicious message becomes part of everyday practice – and not just another complicated task to remember.

Shield brings this practical, ongoing approach to cybersecurity awareness together with the broader education, processes, and safeguards healthcare organizations need to strengthen their security posture. Healthcare teams shouldn’t have to become cybersecurity experts to help protect their patients’ information, and Shield helps make cybersecurity part of the everyday workflow.

Cybersecurity isn’t just about technology. It’s about people, processes, and creating a culture where everyone understands their role in protecting information. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we’re continuing to put that principle into practice and helping healthcare organizations do the same.