As a clinical trial professional, you already know that protecting your trial data is of the utmost importance. A successful cyberattack can cause significant damage, delaying trial completions and introducing compliance, patience, and regulatory issues. To help your clinical trials stay cyber-safe, we're sharing eight cybersecurity tips for managing your clinical trials.
What You Need to Know About the State of Cybersecurity
Before diving into the tips, let's look at the current state of cybersecurity and what you need to know about the cyberattack landscape.
95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error. (World Economic Forum)
The U.S. was the target of 46 percent of cyberattacks in 2020, more than double any other country. (Microsoft)
Data breaches exposed 22 billion records in 2021. (RiskBased Security)
In 2021, nearly 40 percent of breaches featured phishing, around 11 percent involved malware, and about 22 percent involved hacking. (Verizon)
The top malicious email attachment types are .doc and .dot, which make up 37 percent; the next highest is .exe at 19.5 percent. (Symantec)
So, what does this tell us about cybersecurity?
As much as we want to believe the movies, most cybersecurity breaches happen due to human error. For a cybersecurity policy to be effective, it needs to consider this simple but powerful fact.
8 Ways to Protect Your Clinical Trials from Cyberattacks
Practice Proper Password Management
Set strong passwords for all of your accounts and change them regularly. Avoid using common words or phrases and personal information like your birthdate or address.
Also, avoid using the same password for multiple critical systems. If someone discovers a compromised password, they'll only have access to a single system.
Don't Share Your Login Credentials
Do not share your login credentials with other people, even if they are working on the same clinical trial project as you. If someone else has access to this information, it will be easier for cybercriminals to gain access to it.
Instead, add the individual to the needed system with their credentials.
Don't Be a Phishing Victim
Phishing is a common form of attack that involves sending email messages to trick people into revealing confidential information. Fortunately, there are several ways you can protect yourself from phishing attacks.
First and foremost, it's essential to be aware of red flags that might indicate phishing. For example, if an email message asks for sensitive information such as your username and password or asks you to click a link that then takes you to a page asking for the same kind of information, it could be a phishing scam.
In addition, if an email message includes poor grammar or spelling mistakes or seems suspicious in some other way, it could also be a phishing attempt.
Encryption = Security
Encrypt any sensitive data before storing it on the cloud, whether for clinical trials data management purposes or otherwise. This will help prevent unauthorized people from accessing this information, even if it is stored in the cloud.
Download Only What's Known
Never download software or apps from unauthorized websites or sources. Doing so could introduce viruses, malware, and other malicious programs onto your computer or mobile device.
These harmful programs are often hidden in the code of these downloads and can be triggered by users when they install them on their systems. If you aren't careful where you get your software from, you could introduce dangerous viruses and malware onto your system without even knowing it.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi
It’s always best to avoid using public Wi-Fi if you are working with any sensitive trail data. Public Wi-Fi systems have a greater chance of being compromised, which makes it harder for you to ensure a secure operation.
If you need to use public Wi-Fi networks for clinical trial management purposes, consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your traffic and protect it from being monitored by cybercriminals on the same network.
Keep Your Systems Up to Date
Update your operating systems regularly to keep them up to date with the latest security patches to help protect against various threats and vulnerabilities. Installing the latest patches for your operating systems and software programs can help prevent malware threats from infecting your devices. Additionally, regularly updating all other device drivers can help keep your system secure and shore up vulnerabilities.
Be sure to Install a strong antivirus program that can help protect your personal data and devices from viruses and other threats. Lastly, using anti-spam and privacy features can also help you avoid phishing scams, which often attempt to steal your account information or compromise your phone's security.
Choose Secure Systems
At Concinnity, we believe that the future of clinical trial oversight is distinctly digital. This is why we've designed the Cloud Concinnity to include best-in-class security systems. Our cloud-based hub provides clinical trial managers with the tools they need to confidently and securely manage their clinical trials.
By following these cybersecurity tips for managing your clinical trials, you can ensure that you're doing everything possible to protect sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. After all, your clinical trial data is vital to the success of your research projects, and you must take all necessary measures to protect it.
Request a demo to learn more about what the Cloud Concinnity platform can do for you.