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In 2021 alone, prominent organizations like the Colonial Pipeline, JBS, and CNA Financial made front-page news by falling victim to cyberattacks that incurred severe financial damage. However, Fetch 

 Conference presenter Clint Latham, JD, said the veterinary industry has been largely passive and unconcerned with cybersecurity. Rather, veterinary professionals tend to assume they aren’t a target, because they are small businesses and, therefore, small targets.

“This is the most important thing that no one in vet med is talking about,” said Latham, addressing the audience in San Diego, California.

However, Latham cites a Malwarebytes study that found more than a third of small-to-medium-sized businesses were affected by a cyber attack.1 Because veterinary medicine is grouped together with the entire health care sector in the study, he said, it can be difficult to determine exactly how many veterinary practices have been affected. With rough estimates based on the study, Latham said approximately 11,000 veterinary practices are victim to a cyber-attack each year, or 228 per week.

“Every 39 seconds, a business is attacked,” Latham said.

He continued to explain the damage a cyberattack can do, referencing a June 2020 American Veterinary Medical Association online presentation concerning cybersecurity that stated their average cyber claim was $135,000.

“Often the cost of downtime is more than the ransom demand…how long can you survive without your practice management system?” asked Latham, “However, if you pay the ransom, you become a repeat target. You get put on lists…and then people know to go after you because they know you’re not properly protected.”

Latham also talked about animal hospitals and large veterinary organizations being targeted, losing millions of dollars in the process. The reason these attacks do not make the news frequently is that the federal government doesn’t get involved in a cyberattack unless the ransom exceeds $500,000.

 To emphasize the danger, he pointed to an open letter released by the White House on June 3, 2021, that states, “No company is safe from cyber-attacks.”

Simply put, Latham wants veterinary professionals to know the risk is real, and the consequences could be devastating. “

However, Latham stated that protecting veterinary practices can be simple and inexpensive, once the threat is acknowledged and taken seriously. He put forward 5 actions that all practices can take right now to minimize their exposure to cyberthreats.

Latham explained that the first step in having strong passwords is using a password manager. Making easy-to-remember, commonly used passwords, as well as duplicating them across multiple accounts, creates an easy vector for attack by cybercriminals. However, remembering complicated passwords with symbols and random characters for dozens or hundreds of accounts approaches impossible for the average person.

Why are strong passwords important? Many attacks are carried out using compromised password lists acquired from the dark web. A good password manager will make it easy to create complicated and unique passwords for every account in a matter of seconds. They also easily integrate with Windows, Mac, and every modern web browser. Most even work on both Android and iPhone, too, allowing everyone to safely have access to their credentials at the touch of a button. Another great feature is that they allow for easily sharing passwords with staff, and they can send a notification if a password has been comprised. When an employee leaves the practice, there is no need to change every password in the hospital; simply deactivate their access to the password manager itself. No more worrying about who might be walking around with access to the organization’s critical data, Latham said.

Latham said that one of the easiest paths into a network for attackers is a known exploit. Every software company offers regular security updates for a reason: vulnerabilities are constantly discovered and shared among cybercriminals. It is a constant game of cat and mouse between the attackers and the companies patching their software. Deferring and ignoring updates only makes a system more vulnerable over time. That is why everyone should regularly update anything that touches the internet, according to Latham. In addition to computers, things like smartphones, tablets, smart thermostats, Amazon Alexa or Google Home devices, ring camera systems, and more are included. Despite Microsoft releasing a fix in April 2017, the eternal blue exploit that was used to conduct the largest cybersecurity incident to date in February of 2017 is still a vulnerability on approximately 50,000 servers.

 Not keeping systems up to date is flirting with disaster, Latham said.

“Thirty seconds can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in a cyberattack,” said Latham. When it comes to cybersecurity, there are some powerful free tools at everyone’s disposal for protecting their business, stated Latham. With zero financial investment, there’s no reason not to take advantage of anything that can lower the risk of becoming a victim. Three free, effective tools are as follows:

Many people are going about their day right now, unaware that their online accounts have been compromised. Cybercriminals could have access to accounts and already be doing damage, or they could be lying in wait for a moment in the future before striking. This is a great tool one can use to find out if any of their accounts have been compromised, with details about when and how the attack occurred. Simply plug in an email address and it scans the dark web to find out if that email has been part of any breaches. Knowing an account has been compromised allows the user to take action to prevent or limit the damage, such as changing passwords and canceling credit cards.

This is a comprehensive tool that scans any file or document using more than 50 antimalware engines. Its best used for checking the safety of any file received via email or filesharing sites before opening it. It is recommended to scan any file that looks strange, comes from an unknown person or source, or is accompanied by a suspicious email. This simple task could prevent malware from running on the practice’s network, doing damage measured in dollars and causing untold headaches.

: Scanning for malware isn’t just important for files; websites themselves can be malicious actors as well. If a website appears suspicious, try entering the URL into Blacklight, and it will scan the website and determine if anything nefarious is going on behind the scenes.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and unfortunately, the weakest link in cybersecurity is the human element. Latham said it is critical to train staff on how to spot phishing attacks, how to keep information private, why passwords need to be complicated, how to use the free tools, and how to confirm who they are talking to. The best systems and IT services money can buy can’t stop a person from making a mistake.

“Even if they have a Master’s degree in cybersecurity, they’re still going to be too busy to catch every mistake,” Latham said.

Everyone on staff needs to know what to do if they think they’ve fallen victim to a cyberattack. According to Latham, the sooner one acts, the sooner damage can be mitigated.

“Make sure your staff feels comfortable enough to come to talk to you in the event they make a mistake because it can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in headaches,” Latham said.

5. Business continuity: bouncing back when disaster strikes

“Are your backups actually ransomware proof?” Latham asked the audience. Data backup is crucial. However, data itself is useless if there is no way to access it when an attack occurs, said Latham.

Business continuity planning is the process of planning for disaster recovery. It is having a backup plan and the ability to implement it quickly to minimize downtime.

This can look like a backup server that takes over if the main one goes down, or it could be a plan for restoring important files in the case of data loss. A practice might have done the due diligence of simply backing up their files, but what happens in the event of a flood or fire? Can they access patient records or financial information? It’s a vital topic to discuss with IT because good business continuity can turn a cyberattack from a disaster into a minor inconvenience.

When it comes to cybersecurity, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The growing threat of cyberattacks is an important consideration all in the veterinary industry must take seriously. It is critical to be prepared to prevent disaster and to have a plan B or even C for when the worst-case scenario becomes reality.

Ransomware shuts down 1 in 5 small businesses after it hits. CNET. Accessed December 2, 2021. 

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/malwarebytes-state-of-ransomware-shutting-down-1-in-5-affected-small-businesses/

Reporting computer, Internet-related, or intellectual property crime. The United States Department of Justice. Accessed December 2, 2021. 

https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ccips/reporting-computer-internet-related-or-intellectual-property-crime

What We Urge You To Do To Protect Against The Threat of Ransomware. The White House. Accessed December 2, 2021. 

https://sbecouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Memo-What-We-Urge-You-To-Do-To-Protect-Against-The-Threat-of-Ransomware.pd

Still More than 50,000 hosts are vulnerable to ETERNAL BLUE Exploit. GBHackers on Security. Accessed December 2, 2021. 

https://gbhackers.com/still-50000-hosts-vulnerable-eternal-blue-exploit/

Business Continuity Planning (BCP). Investopedia. Accessed December 2, 2021. 

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/business-continuity-planning.aspf

Articles

An expert shares strategies veterinary practices can implement to protect their business from cyberattacks.

5 Simple steps to protect your practice from cyberattacks

Veterinary rehabilitation and sports medicine specialist Matthew Brunke, DVM, DACVSMR, CCRP, CVPP, CVA, medical director at Veterinary Surgery Centers (VSC) in Virginia, imparted pearls of wisdom to the audience during his keynote address at the Fetch dvm360

 San Diego conference in California. Delivering a presentation peppered in inspiration, Brunke instilled hope to professionals who are trying to navigate the abrupt changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

From addressing the changes of the multimodal approaches to rehabilitation to fit the new guidelines to how these adaptations sparked advantages for both clients and staff alike, Brunke disclosed his story of how he not just survived but thrived during the height of the pandemic.

Just because clients are not inside the building does not mean that engaging with them has ceased, said Brunke. He shared that one problem he ran into at his facility was that because of curbside care, clients were unable to see their pets working out in rehabilitation because of the limited ways in which staff and pet parents could interact (ie, social distancing). Therefore, Brunke and his team decided to find innovative ways to keep owners feeling engaged and connected such as throwing a Halloween costume contest. The team took pictures and posted them to social media and asked their clients to vote as a way to safely engage and have fun together virtually.

Brunke revealed how this idea came to fruition. “As much as we liked not having them in the building, I also was not going to do Facetime for every exam,” he said. “But they were not seeing their pets work out in rehabilitation, so we were sending photos and videos of them on the treadmill and then we said, ‘You know what, what if we bought a whole bunch of animal Halloween costumes and did a costume contest?’”

In addition, both Brunke and his colleagues began noticing that clients were not able to interact with one another like they did pre-pandemic. With the adaptation of curbside care, clients would remain inside their cars without the chance to mingle with others. However, despite this barrier, Brunke revealed a unique story of how 2 of his clients and their 2 dachshunds beat the odds and formed a heartfelt friendship that no one could have predicted.

“These 2 [dachshunds] became workout buddies. And what happened? They both blew disks on the same day, at the same time, and had the same surgery by the same surgeon in back-to-back [operating rooms]. Both of the [dogs'] moms would come for rehab, and they didn’t know each other….one day, we accidentally brought the wrong dog to the wrong car because they look alike,” Brunke told attendees.

“And now, those 2 ladies have become friends. During their dog's rehab sessions, they set up a wine and cheese platter on the back of their SUV and they would go out [together] and are now lifelong friends. They are actually starting a business together next year,” he continued.

One obvious but very big change caused by the pandemic was prohibiting clients from entering a practice. According to Brunke, this played a critical part in morale within clinics because veterinary professionals did not have to deal with any rude or overbearing clients. As a result, veterinary professionals were able to provide the care needed to their patients without any interruptions from owners, thus igniting a positive change in their day-to-day operations.

“If you track FAS [Fear, Stress, and Anxiety Scale] scores in your practice, we tracked FAS scored before the pandemic and track them now. Unofficially, our fear, anxiety, and stress scores have dropped by over 50%. What’s the variable? No clients in the building,” Brunke imparted.

Another trend that many practices have adopted is supporting their team members by providing lunches. Brunke shared that at his practice, the administration went a step further and, instead, of opting to order pizza, they offered customized meals to team members from local small businesses in the 3 towns surrounding VSCRs location. Because of this, the team not only experienced a boost in morale but also extended support to local businesses and the community.

“We knew what the problem was and how do we make things better? Food, right? Food helps. We try to find a way because when you get lunch breaks, people did not want to go outside and interact with others so, we brought in food, but nobody would get tired of eating pizza really fast,” said Brunke.

“[VSC] had custom lunch orders [and] we figured things out. We were rotating with small businesses and supporting our local towns because we were watching as our friends and clients were shutting down their businesses and yet, still coming in with their pets to figure out how to pay for stuff, he continued.

For Brunke, the key to surviving these unprecedented times is to keep moving forward. Throughout clients and relationships, the pandemic has allowed staff members and clients to have a positive experience with each other while providing pets with the best standard of care possible.

During his address, Brunke and Multi Radiance Veterinary Lasers—developing laser therapy devices that provide accelerated pain relief and healing—announced that they will be raffling off 4 lasers to 4 lucky attendees in the audience. They hope to improve the lives of pets and elevate the quality of veterinary care by making this resource available.

Although the pandemic changed how veterinary professionals work, when it comes to the multimodal approaches to mobility, some changes—especially client relationships—have proven to be for the better.

SurTHRIVing: COVID-19 and the multimodal approach

Despite the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) declaring declawing as a last resort, 20% to 25% of felines in the United States are declawed.

 At this Fetch dvm360® conference in San Diego, California, Jennifer Conrad, DVM, will emphasize the cruelty of declawing, more accurately called de-knuckling, and debunk common myths on the subject.

The hour-long feline medicine session—“Declawing: What We Knew Then and What We Know Now”—starts at 9:15 am on Friday, December 3, in room 30 B.

Oftentimes clients are unaware of the pain declawing causes a cat because they view the procedure as routine, like vaccination. However, the pain level produced by declawing ranges from moderately severe to severe, and is on the same level as cancer pain, limb amputation, or total ear canal ablation, according to Conrad, and veterinarians should inform pet parents of this effect on cats. Additionally, some long-term adverse consequences of declawing include nerve damage, chronic pain, and behavior changes.

Signs of pain because of declawing felines consist of the following:

Although there are no existing medical reasons to declaw cats, clients typically have it done with hopes of avoiding scratched furniture or the spread of zoonotic diseases, or to keep a cat in a home and prevent its being sent to the shelter due to behavioral issues. But Conrad will share that quite the opposite of these intentions usually occurs with declawed cats.

Declawed cats have problems only because the surgery was poorly done.

 Regardless of how a declawing surgery is performed—even if it is with vaporizing laser—neuromas and other indications of chronic pain syndrome will result, although some cases are worse than others. These felines all have the chance of suffering from bone fragments under the skin, claw regrowth, hammertoes, or other complications.

You have to declaw a cat because the other cats in the household have been declawed.

 Don’t inflict more pain on another cat; the cats will get along fine and work it out. If necessary, keep the clawed cat's nails short.

If veterinarians cannot declaw, there will be a massive deluge of cats in shelters.

 Research findings have demonstrated that in all the places where declaw bans have been enacted, including New York State, the number of cats relinquished to shelters 

 after the ban. Adoption rates increased or were unaffected. Declaw bans save lives, according to Conrad. 

You have to declaw cats to protect human health and immunocompromised people.

 This is not what human health organizations recommend. In fact, declawing puts immunocompromised people at a higher risk because declawed cats often bite. According to Conrad, literature shows that declawed cats bite harder and longer than clawed counterparts.

For more information, please visit www.PawProject.org.

Cheung H. Cat declawing: should it be banned, and why does it happen in the US? BBC

June 6, 2019. Accessed November 18, 2021. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48528968

Conrad J. Declawing: What We Knew Then and What We Know Now. Proceeding presented at: Fetch dvm360® San Diego; San Diego, CA. December 2-5, 2021.

At the 2021 San Diego Fetch dvm360® conference, Jennifer Conrad, DVM, will share the overwhelmingly negative consequences of declawing and cite research rebutting perceived views on the procedure. 

Fetch dvm360® preview: Declawing: Detrimental effects and common myths debunked 

Veterinary Integration Solutions (VIS)—in partnership with Galaxy Vets—revealed findings from the 

Burnout Study in the Veterinary Profession

. The continuing research spearheaded by Ivan Zakharenkov, “Zak,” DVM, MBA, founder of VIS and CEO of Galaxy Vets, analyzes the dynamics and factors affecting burnout rates across demographics and work settings with the end goal of helping veterinary clinics enhance team members’ well-being.

"Evidently, the pandemic stress and restrictions, amplified by the increase in pet ownership and shortage in the veterinary workforce, took their toll on the mental well-being of people in the profession," said Zak, in a company release.

“This study aimed to look at the burnout rate among veterinary professionals and get a sense of professional fulfillment. We’re really interested in work-life balance in the profession in particular,” said Lauren Catenacci, PhD, head of people and culture at Galaxy Vets, in an interview with dvm360

“Then above and beyond that we were looking for understanding the factors that influence burnout so is it gender, age, specialization, caseload, work-life balance, goal setting, and whether or not your employer has a burnout prevention strategy,” she added.

Burnout rate increased in all groups over the past year

Comparative analysis displayed a substantial increase in burnout levels between 2020 and 2021.

 Participants reported higher levels of work exhaustion and interpersonal disengagement with a lower level of professional fulfillment.

Younger veterinary professionals and technicians remain at highest risk for burnout

Like last year’s findings, veterinary professionals under 30 years old are more susceptible to burnout and the most significant level of burnout was found among veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants.

“This stood out to me because by age alone, we’d expect young veterinary professionals to have a long career ahead of them, they are young. But with these burnout ratings, it becomes more concerning that our rising talent could be already leaving the profession,” commented Catenacci.

“The key questions become how can we create the organizational culture that keep those professionals in the industry,” she added.

Gender plays a major role in burnout levels

The study revealed gender-variant/non-conforming participants reported the highest level of burnout while females reported a significantly higher burnout rate compared to males.

“I think we’re still exploring [why women are more burned out than men]. We have some hunches that a women’s tendency to take on more of the family care responsibilities or of the work-life balance, the ‘life’ responsibilities, while fully showing up for the patients and [clients] may actually contribute,” noted Catenacci.

“I’m looking forward to diving deeper into this in our next survey and really get a sense of what is burning out women more than men,” she continued.

Individuals with professional goals reported significantly less burnout

The hypothesis surrounding this was that veterinary professionals may be at higher risk of under-challenge burnout subtype due to their high-achieving personalities. The survey demonstrated that veterinary practitioners with professional goals are less likely to feel burned out and feel happier and more valued compared to their colleagues who don't set and record goals annually.

“Our results indicated that almost 75% of respondents don’t set or record their professional goals each year and while this is disappointing…from an organizational standpoint, it’s encouraging because it’s a very practical lever we can pull for change and it can potentially mitigate burnout,” Catenocci said.

Work-life balance is challenging for all veterinary professionals, particularly women

A positive correlation between professional fulfillment and work-life balance was found and a negative correlation between work-life balance and burnout.

 Additionally, women reported a significantly lower work-life balance than men.

Veterinary professionals want their employers to get involved

Those who reported that their employer has a burnout prevention strategy revealed a significantly lower burnout rate than others. Most participants indicated that they would like management to help them accomplish improved work-life balance.

"There is a need to expand our understanding of veterinary professionals' mental well-being, and by recognizing individual differences, take a more targeted approach to burnout prevention. One of the key findings this year is that practitioners who had professional goals reported significantly less burnout. It's a practical takeaway that can be immediately instrumentalized by veterinary professionals and practice leaders,” Zak stated.

https://vetintegrations.com/insights/burnout2021/

VIS and Galaxy Vets' study reveals a significant increase in veterinary burnout. News release. Galaxy Vets. November 16, 2021. Accessed November 29, 2021. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vis-and-galaxy-vets-study-reveals-a-significant-increase-in-veterinary-burnout-301424502.html

The Galaxy Vets and VIS research also addressed factors that affect burnout to ultimately help veterinary practices incorporate strategies for improving staff well-being. 

Study demonstrates significant increase in veterinary burnout 

The Columbian Park Zoo in Lafayette, Indiana, has announced the tragic deaths of 6 of their 9 African penguins after contracting avian malaria.

Caused by "plasmodium," the parasitic disease is transmitted by infected mosquito bites. It only impacts birds and is not transmissible to humans or other zoo animals. According to an organizational release, avian malaria symptoms consist of weakness, lethargy and loss of appetite, and treatments include anti-malarial medications, fluid and nutritional support, and prophylactic treatment.

"Avian malaria is one of the most significant causes of mortality in penguins, with rates as high as 50-90 percent,” said Neil Dale, zoo director, in the release. “Despite the best efforts of our veterinarian and staff, who provided around the clock care administering anti-malarial medications and other intensive care measures, we were unable to stop the progression of the infections.”

The African penguin named Flash started presenting symptoms of an ailment on October 24, 2021, which prompted veterinary tests and examinations. Though the veterinary team worked tirelessly and gave their best efforts to save Flash, his disease continued to rapidly progress and in the morning of October 28, 2021, he was found dead by animal care staff. After Flash’s necropsy, blood test results displayed he was positive for plasmodium.

“We’ve been consulting with veterinary experts from some of the leading zoos in the country to ensure that we are doing everything possible to best treat our birds,” said Caitlin Laffery, assistant zoo director.

“We are very fortunate to work in a profession where knowledge and expertise is shared so freely and to have resources like Purdue’s Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory right in our backyard,” she added.

The 8 other penguins in the zoo started demonstrating symptoms of illness following Flash's death, and 5 more penguins have been found deceased since then including Raspberry, Zing, Chartreuse, Fozzie, and Zip. Zip’s death was the most recent—November 28, 2021. The remaining 3 penguins, Shazam, Sagely, and Donner, are currently in critical condition.

“We’ve been working around the clock to save as many birds as possible,” remarked Heather Woody, head zookeeper. “Our animal care team is absolutely heartbroken that something like this happened after all the months of hard work and preparation, but our focus now has to be on doing everything we can to help our penguins.”

The Penguin Cove exhibit debuted at Columbian Park on July 30, 2021, after being postponed on various occasions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the release, the zoo is collaborating with Penguin Cove’s original design team to further integrate measures that prevent disease within the exhibit, and zoo staff continues to reference experts for other methods to avoid exposures.

“We know that the community will share in our grief during this incredibly sad time. The entire zoo staff has been emotionally invested in this penguin colony and has felt the loss of each bird deeply,” Dale said.

Show your support for the zoo staff by sending a card to the zoo’s mailing address: 1915 Scott St, Lafayette, IN 47904.

Suspected avian malaria disease hits penguin colony at Columbian Park Zoo. News release. Columbian Park Zoo. November 30, 2021. Accessed December 2, 2021. https://www.lafayette.in.gov/DocumentCenter/View/13659/PRESS-RELEASE-Suspected-avian-malaria-disease-hits-penguin-colony-at-Columbian-Park-Zoo?fbclid=IwAR3TAQ6LDPhizHhdXqxni4UdBAayztubNJdkR4XeRHZC1qe-1_jEMd_HTCU

Columbian Park Zoo is devastated as they put their best efforts to care for their remaining 3 penguins in critical condition.

Six penguins at Indiana zoo die of avian malaria

Royal Canin has gifted $100,000 to Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM) with a 5-year financial commitment displaying its continuous dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the veterinary field.

TUCVM is the only veterinary medical professional program set on a historically black college or university campus inside the United States. According to a company release, the Royal Canin contribution will help support diversity in the veterinary industry by offering discretionary financial support for Tuskegee veterinary students.

“At Royal Canin, we’re driven to create the world we want tomorrow,” said Cecile Coutens, president of Royal Canin North America, in the release. “To achieve this, we must ensure the veterinary talent pipeline more accurately represents our diverse and changing population. We’re proud to support Tuskegee University in its efforts to increase representation in the veterinary industry.”

Royal Canin became a founding member of the Diversity Veterinary Medicine Coalition in 2020 which strives to enhance equity, inclusion, and diversity in the veterinary profession. The company promotes additional inclusion initiatives through multiple internal Associate Resource Groups (ARGs), including Pride, Tu Voz, and the Black Advisory Council.

“The Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine appreciates this intentional and impactful partnership with Royal Canin. Of the thousands of veterinarians in the United States, only 2% are African Americans and of this number, we are proud that 70% are our graduates,” said Ruby L. Perry, DVM, MS, PhD, Diplomate-ACVR, dean of TUCVM.

“Together, we are positioned to provide meaningful support to TUCVM veterinary students to sustain the legacy of training and educating underrepresented minorities as veterinarians in the veterinary profession,” added Perry.

In addition, Royal Canin provides continuing education and eLearning for veterinarians on an array of topics (ie, compassion fatigue) and is an advocate of mental health awareness programs as part of its effort to support the veterinary field and its veterinary partners.

Royal Canin announces $100,000 gift to Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine. News release. Royal Canin. December 1, 2021. Accessed December 2, 2021.

The 5-year commitment aims to help promote diversity within veterinary medicine.