An InformationWeek article about a security test that was recently conducted with IRS employees is quite eye-opening. Researchers called 102 IRS employees and tried to‘trick’ them into changing their computer passwords to something suggested by the caller. A surprising 61 of the 102 employees complied with the request, which could have exposed highly personal and confidential tax-payer information.

Fortunately, this was a just a test... and also a huge wake-up call. What surprises me most about this study is that only 8 of the 102 employees called administrators to check on this request or report the calls! I take it as a well-timed reminder that it never hurts to be sure when it comes to security. It's also valuable to have resources to whom you can take your questions.

The reason we’re so grateful for our iCN (iMedExchange Consultant Network), is that we have the right resources to whom we pose constant questions. Who better to ask about what physicians need, than physicians themselves? And not a small handful, but a diverse group representing broad specialties, geographic locations and practice types. So this is a quick ‘thank you’ to the iCN for being there to answer our questions... and a reminder that if you ever have questions that we can answer, we’re always available.