Think about how many emails move through your dental practice on a typical day. Appointment questions, lab communications, insurance information, vendor invoices, and messages between team members are all part of keeping the practice running.

Most of those messages are routine. That’s also what makes email an attractive target for cybercriminals. A message that appears to come from a familiar vendor, referring provider, or even another team member may not raise concern until someone clicks a link, shares information, or signs in to what looks like a legitimate website.

Training employees to recognize suspicious messages is important, but it shouldn’t be the only thing protecting your practice. The way your email accounts are configured, who can access them, and what happens when suspicious activity is detected all matter.

When a Familiar Email Isn’t What It Seems

Imagine your front desk receives an email from a dental lab asking someone to download updated patient files. The sender looks familiar, the message references an expected delivery, and the link appears legitimate.

However, the email isn’t from the lab.

The link could lead to a fraudulent sign-in page designed to capture an employee’s credentials. It might also prompt the employee to download a file, install software, or copy and paste commands into their computer under the guise of opening patient records or fixing an access problem.

Following those instructions could expose the practice to malicious software or unauthorized access, even if the employee never shares a password.

These situations aren’t always easy to recognize, especially in a busy practice where employees are balancing patients, phones, schedules, and administrative responsibilities.

That’s why email protection needs to account for both the people using it and the technology supporting it.

Employees remain an important part of protecting practice information. A few everyday habits can make a meaningful difference:

• Verify unusual requests. If a vendor, colleague, or referring provider unexpectedly requests sensitive information, a payment change, or account credentials, confirm the request through a trusted contact method.
• Be cautious with links, downloads, and unexpected instructions. Even familiar senders can have compromised accounts. Never download unfamiliar software or copy and paste computer commands simply because an email or website instructs you to. Verify suspicious requests with your IT provider through a trusted contact method.
• Handle patient information appropriately. Protected health information (PHI) should only be shared through approved communication methods with the safeguards required by your practice’s policies and applicable regulations.
• Report suspicious activity quickly. If an employee clicks a questionable link, enters credentials somewhere unexpected, downloads suspicious software, or follows unfamiliar computer instructions, they should report it immediately. Prompt reporting gives the appropriate team an opportunity to investigate and respond.

For more practical guidance on everyday email safety habits, see our Email Safety Practices guide.

Employees shouldn’t have to identify every threat on their own.

Email filtering, multi-factor authentication (MFA), access restrictions, and account monitoring can provide additional layers of protection. These controls help reduce the likelihood that a single mistake or compromised password becomes a larger problem.

If someone reports a suspicious email or unexpected sign-in, the team responsible for managing your technology should have a defined process for investigating the activity, determining whether an account has been compromised, and taking appropriate action.

The challenge is knowing which protections are actually in place and who is responsible for managing them.

Having Microsoft 365 Isn’t the Same as Having It Properly Configured for Your Dental Practice

Many dental practices use Microsoft 365 for email and everyday business applications. Others may be considering a move from an existing email provider.

Microsoft 365 offers capabilities that can help protect business communications, but the protections available depend on the licensing, configuration, and ongoing management of the environment.

For example, MFA adds another verification step when someone signs in. Conditional Access, available with qualifying licenses, can help control access based on factors such as user identity, device status, location, and other conditions.

These capabilities are valuable, but simply purchasing a Microsoft 365 subscription doesn’t mean every appropriate safeguard has been enabled.

Practices also need to consider how accounts are created and removed, who has access to sensitive information, whether employees use personal or unmanaged devices, and how suspicious account activity is handled.

For dental practices, these decisions have to reflect how the team actually works. Front desk employees, clinical staff, providers, and administrative personnel may have different access needs. A multi-location organization may have additional considerations around shared information and account management.

Properly configuring Microsoft 365 means understanding those needs and applying the appropriate protections without unnecessarily disrupting daily operations.

Do You Know What’s Protecting Your Email Today?

You don’t have to be a technology expert to ask the right questions about your practice’s email environment.

Start with a few basics:

• Is MFA enabled and appropriately enforced for everyone accessing practice email?
• Who manages employee accounts and removes access when someone leaves?
• Are there controls governing access from unfamiliar devices or locations?
• How is suspicious email or account activity identified, investigated, and addressed?
• Are employees using approved methods when sending or receiving sensitive patient information?

The bigger question is whether those protections are in place, properly configured, and being managed as your practice changes.

Sunset Technologies helps dental practices evaluate, configure, and manage Microsoft 365 environments with an understanding of how technology supports daily operations.

Protecting email accounts is one part of that responsibility. Making sure patient information is handled appropriately is another.

Not sure whether your practice’s email risks are adequately addressed?

Talk with your Sunset Client Advisor or contact our team to discuss your current email environment, the protections in place, and where additional safeguards may be needed.

Sunset Technologies. Rest Assured.