Steve Mullett

In this month's cover story ("Cyber Security"), you'll meet a nurse who's had her information taken and used twice—when she was shopping online. She learned some lessons the hard way, but you'll get a chance to learn them the easy way. And an expert from a nonprofit organization specializing in cyber security will explain some other ways to keep your data secure.

I can tell you from personal experience that your online information is not as secure as you might expect. A couple of years ago, someone managed to hack into my account in an online payment service and transfer $850 out of my checking account. Whoever did it had connected a separate bank account to my account with the payment service, and he or she was obviously planning to transfer that money into the separate account. Fortunately, I caught it before that separate account was confirmed, and it was all taken care of within a matter of a couple of hours—but it was a nerve-wracking couple of hours. I never did learn how the criminal(s) managed to hack into that account, but as you might well imagine, I changed my password and removed my banking information from it.

Every profession has its risks and rewards, and healthcare travel is no exception. But if you navigate the risks well enough, your rewards are sure to be bountiful.