Every organization that handles the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of US citizens must be concerned with federal healthcare compliance: that is, abiding by the parameters established in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH). A central element of HIPAA federal law is the Security Rule, which mandates implementation of appropriate cybersecurity measures to protect digital health records.
How Does SFTP Help With HIPAA Compliance?
Secure file transfer protocol (SFTP), a component of the secure shell (SSH) protocol, is useful in maintaining compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). SFTP uses encryption and algorithmic hash functions to protect information from unintended viewing or theft, and is considered a best-practice way to securely send files.
Like other standard protocols and technologies that are deployed to maintain HIPAA-compliant security, SFTP is not required specifically by the agency that regulates it, the Department of Health and Human Services. (The HHS regulates the law flexibly, allowing organizations to make their own specific decisions on means.) While you certainly do not have to use SFTP in order to stay compliant, it is a standard and straightforward way to meet the need for secure HIPAA file transfer.
The Importance of Disaster Recovery In the Midst of a Natural Disaster
You may see natural disasters on TV or read about them but not completely understand the vulnerability associated with this issue. Actually, the risk is almost throughout the industry.
More than half of organizations (58%) are not ready for a major loss of data. Actually, the extent to which firms are unprepared is very worrisome: 60% will go bankrupt within 6 months, according to data from Washington, DC-based research firm Clutch. Also according to the statistics compiled by Clutch, cloud backup is on the rise, with:
- 84% of the organizations that have already adopted cloud backup having implemented both on-premises and cloud backups;
- 68% of cloud backup business customers testing their backups at least once per month; and
- 78% of small businesses planning to use cloud-hosted backup by 2020.
To set aside the specific technology of cloud backup, the need for disaster recovery is clear from the data on the business impact of large data losses. Since it is possible to have a disaster completely take you by surprise, and to in turn lose thousands or millions operationally and economically, it is a basic business need to have a disaster recovery plan implemented.
Managed Hosting Solutions for Global Membership Organizations
Global membership associations must find ways to strategically operate their infrastructure and provide services. Often, such strategic operation involves managed hosting. Managed hosting can be understood in contrast to unmanaged hosting. It can also be understood as one of the various services provided through a host’s role as a managed services provider (MSP). By looking at other core services provided by MSPs, we also get a sense of the services that are often included in managed hosting environments.
Top 10 Considerations for HIPAA-Compliant File Transfer
While HIPAA law is broad, at its core is the Security Rule, the full name for which is the Security Standards for the Protection of Electronic Protected Health Information. The Security Rule applies the rights that are conveyed by the Privacy Rule – i.e., the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information – within digital environments. In order to achieve this aim, the Security Rule requires administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. These three categories of defenses are critical to ensuring HIPAA-compliant file transfer. Specific elements of these types of Security Rule protections include these ten key healthcare file transfer considerations:
Top 10 Considerations for HIPAA Compliant File Storage
Top 10 Considerations for a HIPAA-Compliant Website
Many organizations are unsure if they need to follow the rules in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). You need a compliant site if you are handling electronic protected health information (ePHI), which is personally identifiable data collected during the course of the provision of healthcare.
When you need a HIPAA-compliant website, here are key concerns that should guide your efforts:
Top 10 Considerations for a HIPAA-Compliant Database
If you’ve been charged with implementing a HIPAA-compliant database and it’s your first time building a system that adheres to the healthcare law, you may feel overwhelmed and confused about where to start. The first step is to focus your efforts so you can move forward systematically in creating one. The below considerations will allow you to establish a database and protect it over time.
HIPAA Compliance for Counseling & Coaching Services
While counseling and coaching services may seem to fall outside of the realm of traditional healthcare, they often fall squarely in the realm of mental health and are therefore subject to HIPAA requirements. Knowing whether these services fall under HIPAA regulations can be tricky, and it’s important to understand your responsibilities in protecting patient health information (PHI).
Below, we explore HIPAA compliance requirements for mental health services, such as coaching and counseling, and how you can ensure compliance.
Microsoft OneDrive for Business or Google Drive for HIPAA Compliance?
File sharing is crucial to the ability to leverage the cloud and to safeguard files while controlling and sharing them. It also makes it possible for your personnel to be able to get to their files wherever they are.
For healthcare organizations looking to adopt a file sharing service, the most important consideration is to select a service that prioritizes the security that is necessary to deliver HIPAA compliance. Two of the prominent file sharing options for general storage are Microsoft OneDrive for Business and Google Drive. However, when using a third party to file sharing for your healthcare organization, it means that you are placing trust in a business associate to protect highly confidential and sensitive patient data – you need to be able to maintain HIPAA compliance.
