Security Risk Assessment – Why Should it be done, and How Best to do it!

 

A risk assessment is the first step for any organization to take in developing their plan to protect their health card data and systems

It is a thorough analysis and categorization of the organization’s data, computer software, hardware, physical location, and employee access and responsibilities. In a detailed step by step process, each of these areas is catalogued, and then potential vulnerabilities are identified, along with the impact of that vulnerability and its likelihood of happening.

Costs of the vulnerability, as well as potential costs to remediate against that vulnerability must also be determined. Given this information, the organization can then make good decisions on what type of a security program is necessary, how does it fit within the organization’s budget,capabilities and strategic plan, and what the next steps are.

How do you know your entity is protected against security threats, computer viruses, data breaches, and shutdowns? Where do you even start? The risk assessment is the basis for all of your security plans, procedures and policies. Without such an assessment, you do not know what data and systems are at risk, what you currently have in place, and where you may be vulnerable.

The Security Risk Assessment – Why Should it be done, and How Best to do it

A risk assessment, consisting of a thorough analysis and categorization of the healthcare organization’s data, computer software, hardware, physical location, and employee access and responsibilities, is the first and most crucial step that any organization has to take in developing its plan to protect its health card data and systems.

Any organization in the healthcare sector should ideally catalogue each of these areas, identify potential vulnerabilities, and assess the impact of that vulnerability and its likelihood of happening. The organization should also estimate the costs of the vulnerability, as well as potential costs to remediate against that vulnerability, should the need for it arise.

Once the organization has built this information, it will help it take sensible decisions on the type of a security program that is necessary for it, how it fits within the organization’s budget, what its capabilities and strategic plan are, and what its next steps should be. This detailed step by step process should be the preferred method for any organization.

However, most healthcare organizations are at sea when it comes to formulating and implementing these steps. Many are not even aware if their entity is protected against security threats, computer viruses, data breaches and shutdowns, or even where to start.

This is where security risk assessment is of immeasurable importance. It is the foundation for all of an organization’s security plans, procedures and policies. An absence of such an assessment throws the whole security network into chaos, leaving the organization clueless about which of its data and systems are at risk, what it currently has in place, and where it may be vulnerable.

It is to help clear all these confusions that MentorHealth is organizing a very valuable learning session. This reputable provider of professional training for all the areas of healthcare will offer complete clarity on these and related issues at the webinar it is organizing on May 8. Stanley Nachimson, the principal of Nachimson Advisors, a health IT consulting firm, will be the expert at this 60-minute session.

Please register for this learning by visiting http://bit.ly/2VIefOT.

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The aim of this session is to help participants clear their many confusions they may have around putting a security risk assessment plan in place. Many organizations may not be clear with even basic questions such as where to start. The most important fact that they need to keep in mind is that they are at risk of HIPAA violations and losing CMS funding for their Electronic Health Record activities if they have not got their security risk assessment right. This webinar is aimed at any healthcare entity that has not done risk assessments on a regular basis-preferably at least once a year-that could have an issue with its security risk assessment.

Aimed for the benefit of Security Officers, Privacy Officers, CIOs, CSOs, Physician Office Managers and Healthcare Provider Managers; this webinar will cover the following areas:

• Definition of Risk Assessment
• Federal Regulatory and Compliance Requirements for the Assessment
• Identifying what Needs to be Assessed
• Defining the Data that an Organization Holds
• Looking at Internal Systems
• Identifying Vendors and Partners and their Risks
• Risk Assessment Tools
• How to Prioritize your Risks and Remediation.

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About the speaker: Stanley Nachimson’s firm serves a number of clients, including the Cooperative Exchange, EHNAC, and InstaMed. It focuses on assisting health care providers, vendors, and plans with understanding the regulatory environment, assisting in implementation of regulation requirements, and providing advice on HIT industry status and trends.

Stanley is the author of the authoritative paper on the cost of ICD-10 for physician practices, and is an active member of HIMSS, WEDI, and X12.

 

 

HIPAA Security 101 aims to protect health information

HIPAA Security 101 deals with protecting health information. It has clear guidelines on who all are covered. It is aimed at making health information safer and more secure.

One of the key components of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is the Security Series. The Security Series constitutes a part of the Administrative Simplification provisions of HIPAA. Passed by the American Congress; this series is intended to make the healthcare industry more efficient by protecting the privacy and security of some kinds of health information. This it does by regulating the use of standardized electronic transactions.

Provisions relating to the following have been listed:

• Privacy Rule
• Electronic transactions and code sets rule
• National identifier requirements for employers, providers, and health plans
• Security Rule

The need for Security 101

The need for enacting a set of security provisions was felt purely because before the enactment of Security 101, there was neither a set of generally accepted security standards nor general requirements for protecting health information in the health care industry. It was a time when technologies were taking over the day-to-day administration of healthcare records from paper to computers. Computers began to play a central role in carrying out the key functions of the healthcare industry, ranging from claims to disseminating information to the public at large about any aspect of healthcare, to a clutch of other related clinical or administrative functions.

What does Security 101 do?

HIPAA Security 101 is designed to perform two crucial functions:

• First, it puts in place the much needed, appropriate security safeguards for protecting select electronic health care information which could be liable to risk of breach or exposure
• Second, it facilitates a crucial goal of HIPAA, namely the promotion of use of electronic health information in the healthcare industry

Who all need to implement Security 101?

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published rules for implementing Security 101, which the following have to implement:

• Covered Health Care Providers
• Health Plans
• Health Care Clearinghouses
• Medicare Prescription Drug Card Sponsors

Read More : http://bit.ly/2sca3pY

Ransomware and HIPAA risks are now closely hemmed together

Ransomware and HIPAA risks are now inseparable. After a lot of deliberation, ransomware has now become part of HIPAA compliance for Business Associates and Covered Entities that have to show HIPAA compliance. This became official on July 11, 2016, when the HHS issued a new guideline that makes ransomware attacks part of reportable HIPAA breaches.

Although players in the healthcare industry were strident in their thinking that ransomware and HIPAA risks should be kept separate; what precipitated this decision was the finding by the US interagency report, which suggested that in just one year from the middle of 2015, there has been a fourfold increase in the number of ransomware attacks, bringing the number of these attacks on Protected Health Information (PHI) to an alarming 4000 a day.

Ransomware and HIPAA risks have come together primarily for this reason, with the HIPAA’s new guideline seeking to suggest steps that need to be taken by Business Associates and Covered Entities to identify a ransomware attack and report it, thereby preventing the potential loss it causes to PHI.

First, a brief understanding of ransomware

Ransomware can be defined in simple terms as malicious software that is different from other kinds of malware. It differs fundamentally by attempting to deny access to a user’s data at the source. Ransomware hackers encrypt the data with a key that is known only to them, and release it only after a ransom is paid to them by the user. Ransomware and HIPAA risks have come together after the realization by the HHS about the dangers of this kind of malware.

Business Associates and Covered Entities are in for a jolt when HIPAA investigations relating to ransomware breaches find malpractices. It can ruin the said practice or business. If ransomware is detected, HIPAA considers it a serious breach of security. Such an entity is heavily penalized, and its reputation is at stake.

How are ransomware and HIPAA risks associated with each other?

The HHS, which is responsible for HIPAA implementation, has issued the new guidelines about ransomware and HIPAA risks.

These include:

• Taking measures to implement a security management process, of which carrying out a risk analysis that helps identify vulnerabilities and threats to the PHI and implementing steps to mitigate these are a part;
• Putting in place measures that detect and guard against malicious software;
• Helping to protect data by training users on malicious software about identifying and reporting these, and
• Putting in place access controls by which only designated personnel are authorized and permitted access.

These measures on ransomware and HIPAA risks sit along with the existing Security Rule of the HIPAA, which has its own set of steps and rules that need to be taken to protect data privacy.

How do steps for checking ransomware and HIPAA risks need to be implemented?

The important steps needed for checking ransomware and HIPAA risks are suggested above, but one needs professional help in order to implement the right steps for identifying and containing ransomware and HIPAA risks.

The exact ways of doing this will be the content of a webinar that MentorHealth, a leading provider of professional trainings for all the areas of regulatory compliance, is organizing.

Brian L Tuttle, who is a Certified Professional in Health IT (CPHIT), Certified HIPAA Professional (CHP) and Certified Business Resilience Auditor (CBRA) with over 15 years’ experience in Health IT and Compliance Consulting, will be the speaker at this webinar. To understand how to prevent your practice from being hauled up by HIPAA or being sued for class action in the case of a large breach; register for this webinar by visiting

The proven and established means of protecting businesses and practices from ransomware attacks and breaches and from HIPAA actions will be discussed threadbare at this webinar.

An understanding of the risk factors

During the course of this webinar, Brian will also explain what the highest risk factors for being sued for wrongful disclosures of PHI are, and the manner in which patients are now using state laws to sue for wrongful disclosures. He will also delve into specific information about multiple incidents, which will help practices and businesses understand what they did wrong that led to a HIPAA risk of ransomware.

Apart from offering an explanation of the variables that need to be considered; Brian will also discuss specific questions the Office of Civil Rights investigators and FBI are likely ask and the ways of giving them the best answer. This very valuable session on ransomware and HIPAA risks will educate participants on the ways of preventing a breach altogether.

Brian will cover the following areas at this webinar:

• What is ransomware?
• What are risk factors?
• What to do if hijacked
• Audit Process
• What can cause an audit
• How to avoid these issues altogether
• What to do in the event of an audit
• How to speak and deal with Federal auditors
• Risk Assessment
• Best resources

Awareness of the new HIPAA Audit and Enforcement activities is a must for organizations

When appearing for an exam, what do we do? We prepare for it, right? The same goes for a HIPAA audit. A HIPAA audit may not be an examination, but is an audit, which calls for even greater attention.

 

Organizations that are required to carry out HIPAA audits need to be strongly aware of what goes into HIPAA audit and enforcement activities. Carrying out HIPAA audits in tune with the prescribed rules and procedures is a regulatory requirement. Lack of it leads to penalties and other punitive actions. But there is a catch: HIPAA guidelines are rather vague. In addition, carrying out HIPAA audits involves having to go through several complicated steps.

 

So, what does this point to? That some element of familiarization with HIPAA Privacy and Security is necessary. Those carrying out HIPAA audits and showing compliance with HIPAA Privacy and Security have to also contend with the changes carried out into it.

Those carrying out a HIPAA audit need to approach it with an open and progressive mindset.

Needed: knowledge of the many regulations

 

Organizations that carry out HIPAA audits need to have knowledge of the HIPAA Omnibus Rule, HITECH, what risk factors to into a federal audit and how to counter them, and the way an Electronic Health Record (EHR) works. These are in addition to many other areas that organizations need to have knowledge of.

 

This session will unravel the complexities of HIPAA Audit and Enforcement activities and all that needs to go into these and other related tricky issues pertaining to HIPAA. These include HIPAA Privacy Rule vs HIPAA Security Rule, Breach Notification Rule, how to conduct a Risk Assessment, how to write policies and procedures which are presentable to Federal auditors, how to choose a HIPAA Consultant, and much more.

 

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