Data Encryption for Healthcare

Overview

Stethoscope on keyboard

The health care industry has long-since been scrutinized for it’s practices regarding the safe storage of private health information. In today’s increasingly digital world, it is no surprise that health care organizations and product vendors are moving towards all-digital health records and processes. This rapid increase in Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), Electronic Health Records (EHRs), and Personal Health Records (PHRs) brings with it as many potential security risks as it does benefits. In recognition of these security and privacy risks, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted in 1996 and is now in full effect. HIPAA places strict privacy requirements on covered entities in the health care industry.

Does your Health Organization:

  • Have an encryption process in place that addresses the privacy requirements of HIPAA?
  • Have a encryption-key management and rotation system to ensure the integrity of your private health care data?
  • Need a separate device to off-load intense cryptographic processing from busy servers?
  • Need a solution customized to your business, large or small?

Who does HIPAA impact?

HIPAA legislation states that all covered entities must adhere to the privacy portion of the Act. Covered entities can include individuals, organizations and agencies in the following areas.  As you can see, the scope of HIPAA is significant and intended to protect private health care information throughout it’s entire lifecycle in the industry.

Two Doctors

  • Doctors, clinics and hospitals;
  • Dentists;
  • Psychologists;
  • Chiropractors;
  • Pharmacies;
  • Nursing homes;
  • Health Insurance Companies;
  • HMO’s;
  • Government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, military and veteran’s health;
  • Company Health Plans; and
  • Health Care Clearinghouses or other 3rd party health care information processors.

Cost of Non-Compliance

The following consequences can result from organizations who fail to comply with HIPAA requirements, fail to report a compromise or who fail to rectify identified security issues.

  • Possible fines up to $25,000 for multiple violations of the standard in the same calendar year;
  • Possible fines up to $250,000 & 10 years imprisonment for knowingly misusing individually identifiable health information;
  • Possible civil and criminal penalties for privacy and security violations;
  • Loss of patient confidence due to negative media disclosure of information breaches.

How Dark Matter Labs can Assist with Compliance

While many health care providers wish to adhere to these requirements, it can be very difficult keeping up with the rapid change in medical technologies. Dark Matter Labs has the experience to simplify the process of protecting private medical & personal information through the use of simple, yet powerful business encryption solutions. Smart. Clean. Efficient.

We work closely with health care practices and organizations, their Chief Privacy Officers, and security professionals to implement business-wide encryption solutions that identify and encrypt all data required by law and other business needs. Regardless of your data-encryption needs and business architecture, we can help; and we’d enjoy hearing from you.

We can help in the following ways:

  • Identification of vulnerable health care data and correlation with HIPAA requirements;
  • Assessment of existing network infrastructure and ideal implementation of encryption solutions;
  • Installation of enterprise-wide encryption solutions;
  • In-depth training on installed solutions; and
  • Comprehensive, on-going customer support.

Key Regulations & Legislation

For more details concerning HIPAA standards and health care information security practices, try the following sites:

Related Industries

  • Privacy – Privacy laws are ubiquitous and affect businesses everywhere.


For more information contact us at contact@darkmatterlabs.net