Break-Fix Isn't a Security Plan | Ep. 172 | Chris Gibson

Most practices don't find out how weak their IT support is until something goes down in the middle of the night. This episode is about what real IT protection looks like for a dental practice, and how to tell the difference before you need it. Greg sits down with Chris Gibson, Market President of Ntiva's Dental Division, to grill him on dental IT and cybersecurity in plain language. They cover what to do in the first minutes after a security alert, how to vet an IT provider when you have nothing to compare it to, and why emerging groups that wait to standardize their technology pay for it later. They discuss: - The first moves after a "your account was compromised" alert: confirm the message is legit, change the password, then check for new user accounts, recent sign-ins, and unauthorized apps - Why a "man in a van" break-fix provider isn't enough for a practice running high-value cases - What a full-stack IT provider should have: network operations, security operations, help desk, professional services, and field services - Why a dental-specific provider matters, from HIPAA to knowing what a CBCT is when it's down with a big case in the chair - The questions that expose a weak provider: who watches your network overnight, what happens when the firewall goes down, and what their service level objectives are - Why groups usually start feeling their IT risk somewhere between 7 and 15 locations - Missing firewalls, scattered accounts, and multiple practice management and imaging platforms in acquired practices - IT diligence: integrating early under one consistent stack costs far less than reorganizing at 30 to 60 locations - A password manager tip, plus What the Sleuth is Going On: hotel bathroom lighting and the case for inventing the handpiece A practical guide to asking the right IT questions before a breach asks them for you. ABOUT THE GUEST Chris Gibson is Market President of Ntiva's Dental Division, serving dental organizations nationally from single-location practices to group practices and DSOs. Ntiva provides help desk, cybersecurity, network operations, and professional services, along with IT advisory, vCIO, and vCISO services for growing groups. Chris came up through the technical side of the business, including technical support leadership and later COO at MBS Secure, before its acquisitions by The Purple Guys and Ntiva. He brings a straight, no-nonsense view of where dental IT breaks down and what best-in-class groups do differently. LINKS & NEXT STEPS - Learn more: https://www.dentalconsult4u.com - Book a call: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/du9K0a2re1K4eBBk8fI7 - Connect with Chris: https://ntiva.com | [email protected]