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🎇 HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! 🎆

Before we all log off to enjoy fireworks, BBQ, and a well-deserved break, we want to wish you and your team in advance a safe, secure, and relaxing holiday weekend.

But as every compliance professional knows—risks don’t take holidays. So in this issue, we’re sharing two quick reads to help you stay protected and prepared over the long weekend.

Together, let’s make this long weekend restful and risk-free.

Holiday Downtime, Real-Time Risk

As the long weekend approaches, many organizations begin shifting into holiday mode—skeleton crews, relaxed schedules, and reduced monitoring. But while your team might be slowing down, cyber threats and compliance obligations don’t take days off.

In fact, long weekends often bring increased risk for data breaches, system failures, and delayed incident responses especially for organizations handling protected health information (PHI). With fewer staff watching the systems, there’s more opportunity for unnoticed issues to escalate.

🧨 Long Weekends Increase Compliance Risk

Extended time away from regular operations can create hidden vulnerabilities, such as:

• System Outages That Go Unnoticed
  Critical applications might fail or stall during a low-traffic period, leading to data access issues or backup failures.

• Delayed Breach Detection
  Unusual access patterns or suspicious logins might not be flagged until well after the activity has occurred—shrinking your response window and increasing risk.

• Monitoring Gaps
  Alerts and logs generated over the weekend may not be reviewed in time to identify early signs of trouble.

• Unclear On-Call Protocols
  If something does go wrong, many teams are left asking: Who do we call first? Who’s responsible for responding?

✅ Long Weekend Compliance Checklist

Before signing off for the weekend, here are five simple checks you can do to reduce risk:

1. Confirm Who’s On Call for Security or Compliance
   Assign a clear point of contact and ensure they have access to key tools and documentation.

2. Review Your Incident Response Plan
   Ensure the plan is updated, accessible, and that responsible team members know their roles.

3. Check Your Logging and Alerting Systems
   Make sure system logs are active, alerts are functional, and someone will be reviewing them, even briefly, over the weekend.

4. Enforce MFA for All Admin Access
   If your team will be logging in remotely or using mobile tools, make sure multifactor authentication is enabled for added protection.

5. Test or Confirm Backups Are Running Smoothly
   Backups should be verified for both completion and restoration capability. Don’t wait until after a failure to test them.

🧠 Pro Tip: Talk to Your Vendors Before the Break

If your EHR provider, cloud host, or IT partner plays a role in your compliance posture, check their holiday availability in advance. Knowing their escalation plan will save time if you need their help during a breach or outage.

🎯 Final Reminder

While the team rests, your systems are still running and threats don’t take time off. A few minutes of preparation now could prevent hours (or days) of damage control later.

Enjoy the holiday—but stay secure!

AI Notetakers Are Quietly Leaking Risk. Audit Yours With This Checklist.

AI notetakers are becoming standard issue in meetings, but most teams haven’t vetted them properly.

✔️ Is AI trained on your data?
✔️ Where is the data stored?
✔️ Can admins control what gets recorded and shared?

This checklist from Fellow lays out the non-negotiables for secure AI in the workplace.

If your vendor can’t check all the boxes, you need to ask why.

Get the Security Checklist

Out of Office, Not Out of Compliance

As the long weekend kicks off, many team members will be setting “Out of Office” replies, delegating tasks, or working remotely while traveling. And while everyone deserves a break, compliance doesn’t take PTO.

Even small actions like forwarding emails, sharing credentials, or crafting an OOO reply can expose your organization to risk if not handled properly.

Before you sign off, here are a few reminders to keep your systems secure, your data protected, and your compliance intact:

✅ Smart Out-of-Office Habits for a Compliant Break

1. Keep It Professional & Vague
Avoid mentioning vacation destinations, detailed travel plans, or extended absences in your out-of-office replies. This kind of information, while well-intended, can signal availability gaps to bad actors or expose more than necessary.

Instead, keep it brief and secure. Focus on when you’ll return and who can assist in the meantime.

Tip: It's helpful to include the names and emails of specific team members who are available to handle urgent requests. This shows continuity without revealing too much about who’s away and for how long.

Here’s a safe, client-focused example:

2. Never Auto-Forward Sensitive Emails
Forwarding all incoming emails to a colleague, especially when PHI or client data is involved, can unintentionally create unauthorized disclosures.

3. Don’t Share Logins or Access “Just in Case”
Even if it feels convenient, avoid giving someone else your login or credentials. If someone needs access while you’re out, request a temporary access assignment through proper channels.

4. Log Out of Shared or Personal Devices
If you’re stepping away from a shared system or using your own laptop at home, log out of all apps that handle sensitive data and avoid using public Wi-Fi unless it’s secured by VPN.

5. Let Compliance Know Who’s Covering You
If you’re in a role that touches PHI, client records, or internal systems, notify your compliance contact of your designated backup or escalation point.

🎯 Final Thought

Taking time off shouldn’t put your organization at risk. With a few quick precautions, you can help your team stay secure so everyone can enjoy the long weekend with peace of mind.