Due to COVID-19, companies have found themselves in the middle of the world’s largest work-from-home experiment. Many hail remote work as a blessing, allowing employees to continue working while practicing social distancing during this uncertain time. Of course, even before coronavirus grabbed our attention, many companies were already adapting various telecommuting and remote work policies.

This pattern of data breaches is very concerning for dental practices, which are charged with protecting people’s most sensitive information. What can practices do to protect themselves against this growing problem? There has been a surge in data breaches at companies from virtually every sector during the past few years. Practically every week, the news media reports new breaches that seem to be increasing in scope and severity.

The past several years have been marked by numerous high-profile data breaches that seem to be happening with increasing frequency and scope. Given the unprecedented participation in digital platforms and the unparalleled amount of personal data that today’s tech companies store, government regulation and oversight felt inevitable.

The modern workforce looks a lot different than it did even a decade ago. If employees actually go to a physical office, their workplaces are often defined by open concepts, collaboration and frequent communication. None of this is by accident. Studies consistently show that happy employees are more productive employees, and autonomy and access are two factors that can make employees happy.