Business Chief APAC+ANZ Magazine May 2019 | Page 109

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Best Practices for Healthcare Providers

To provide effective patient care , health providers must share data efficiently with other entities . Symantec ’ s portfolio of security solutions enables health systems to provide all the technology and workflows clinicians and administrators need while protecting sensitive data , both on-premises and in the cloud , at rest and in transit .
When a health system suffers a data breach , it can cause serious and irreversible damage to patients , employees , third-party partners , the business , and the trusted relationship between patients and their care providers . The trouble is , health data and other sensitive information stored in health provider systems need to be shared with other entities . For example , in the course of treatment , protected health information ( PHI ) can travel between medical and finance departments , other practices , family members , and thirdparty entities such as insurance companies and home health agencies . All the while , health systems are legally bound to protect confidential information while coordinating care and payment .
Though the risks of having an insufficient security strategy continue to mount for the healthcare industry , security budgets and staffing are often insufficient to meet the formidable challenges . Reliance upon point products is one way healthcare IT has attempted to combat data breaches , but such security solutions can actually add to the complexity of already cumbersome and complex systems .
The fact is , typical user ID and password security can no longer deter hackers . Multifactor authentication ( MFA ) for accessing data , apps , and services is a key requirement for healthcare IT , especially for remote access or critical functions such as electronic prescribing of controlled substances .
As the term suggests , traditional MFA requires more than one method of authentication to verify a user ’ s identity . It combines two or more credentials that are independent of each other : If one of the authentication methods is compromised , there are other layers of defense . In a healthcare setting , it ’ s important that MFA is implemented in a way that doesn ’ t inhibit efficient data sharing or patient care , and it must be easy for clinicians and administrative staff to adopt .
Other best practices include identifying where confidential information is stored , and monitoring who is accessing it , from where , on which devices , and how it ’ s being used . Once you ’ ve located the confidential data in all of your environments , you can secure and protect it when it ’ s at rest and when it ’ s being transmitted .
Manage and protect sensitive data on-premises or in the cloud
For health systems , moving to the cloud has obvious benefits , including cost savings and scalability . However , security and complexity concerns have slowed adoption . Symantec offers a broad portfolio of security solutions designed to help healthcare IT manage and protect sensitive data , whether on-premises or in the cloud :
Data loss prevention and encryption
Data loss prevention ( DLP ) and encryption offerings enable you to monitor and protect confidential information wherever it is stored and however it is used .
Hosted DLP Cloud Service for Email
Hosted DLP Cloud Service for Email enables you to quickly transition to the cloud and securely adopt software-as-aservice applications , such as Office 365 or Gmail . Cloud Service for Email provides real-time protection with automated response actions such as message blocking , redirection , and encryption capabilities . It allows you to prioritize real incidents with accurate monitoring and analysis , and respond faster with one-click responses and automated workflows . You can enforce data loss policies across both cloud and on-premises mailboxes with sophisticated policy authoring .
Validation and ID Protection
Validation and ID Protection ( VIP ) service ensures only authorized users can securely access clinical and IT systems . This enables strong multifactor and risk-based tokenless authentication that eliminates up to 80 percent of breaches . VIP enhances existing static passwords by positively identifying users with a dynamic second factor of authentication that cannot be predicted or stolen . VIP can adapt to nearly any network , cloud , or mobile app with built-in integrations .

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