Resources

Medical Marijuana Industry Regulated by HIPAA

Like any controlled substance, medical marijuana requires a robust system of patient verification to make certain that patients who are receiving prescriptions are identified properly. Medical dispensaries use computerized patient verification systems in the pursuit of this goal. But what many people do not know is that a patient verification system is also subject to... Continue reading

Decoding the Updated HIPAA Omnibus Rule

On January 17th, 2013, the Health Insurance of Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (otherwise known as HIPAA) rules were overhauled with the express goal of improving patient privacy and protecting patient data. These new rules took effect as of March 26, 2013. The change to the laws made regulations for second and third-party businesses... Continue reading

Compliance Checklist for HIPAA IT Pros

Hosting protected health information can be daunting, but going through a checklist of requirements for the compliance of the Health Insurance of Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (otherwise known as HIPAA) can make the process simpler and more painless.

Heartbleed’s Impact on HIPAA Compliance

Back in early April of this year (2014) there was a new security vulnerability discovered known as the “Heartbleed Bug.” This software bug has had an impact on the overall global internet community which uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates to provide secure websites to the public. As a result, this security issue has had... Continue reading

Network Security Scans for HIPAA Compliance: Cursory or In-Depth?

When looking for a HIPAA Compliant hosting company you want to ensure, among other things, that proper security controls are in place. This especially applies to Network Security Scanning capabilities and reporting. Hosting providers must follow special HIPAA guidelines and regulations when it comes to the privacy and protection of medical information. There are many... Continue reading

HIPAA Compliance Using Amazon Web Services (AWS)

When it comes to HIPAA hosting companies, you have more choices than ever. Many hosting providers are HIPAA Compliant and provide a level of security for hosted information in the cloud. One of those organizations is Amazon. They provide a cloud-based solution called “Amazon Web Services” or AWS. Utilizing a large corporate cloud provider organization... Continue reading

HIPAA Compliant Hosting for European-based Organizations

In order to host and/or migrate medical data being transferred from the European Union (EU), US hosting providers have to undergo and partake in the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor certification process. EU Directive 95/46/EC is the European Union mandate (in conjunction with the European Convention {EC}) for the protection of individuals with regard to Automatic Processing... Continue reading

Data Center Compliance for a HIPAA Compliant Hosting Provider

When a customer is seeking the right choice for a data center that is HIPAA Compliant, there’s an important distinction to keep in mind. To say that a data center is “HIPAA Compliant” is actually a misnomer. Data Center Compliance is the responsibility of the hosting facility to manage and maintain the infrastructure. HIPAA Compliance... Continue reading

HIPAA Compliant Hosting vs Standard Web Hosting

If you host a website that will interact with patient information, then you should find a HIPAA specialist in web hosting. Patient information is considered Protected Health Information (PHI) or Electronic Health Records (EHR) and is protected by the regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Security Scanning for HIPAA Compliant Hosting: Pen Testing and Vulnerability Assessments

Why should I scan my systems? How often should I scan? What is the difference between internal scanning vs external scanning?These are common security questions that should be addressed when dealing with HIPAA Compliance regulations. HIPAA regulations require that procedures exist for the safekeeping of data, with high recommendation on data encryption. The HIPAA Security Rule states that a Risk Analysis is required for systems that contain electronic protected health information (ePHI). This involves conducting an accurate and thorough assessment of the potential risks and vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (also known as the CIA triad) of the resident information.