Data Encryption
Ransomware Infection Results in Patients PHI Being Encrypted
Another healthcare provider has announced that a ransomware infection has resulted in patients’ protected health information being encrypted, and potentially accessed, by cybercriminals. The Susan M. Hughes Center, a provider of aesthetic medicine and cosmetic surgery services in New Jersey and Philadelphia, discovered ransomware had been installed on its computer system on August 30, 2016.…
Read MoreTWO THIRDS OF HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS LACK CONFIDENCE IN DATA SHARING
A recent survey conducted by Privacy Analytics, a Canadian technology firm specializing in data masking and data de-identification technology, indicates two out of three healthcare organizations do not have complete confidence in their ability to share patient health information without placing patient privacy at risk. HIPAA and Data Sharing Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, covered…
Read MoreData Breach Laws in California Updated
Data breach laws in California have been updated following the signing of three new bills by California Governor Jerry Brown. The new bills were passed as a single package, and will come into effect on January 1, 2016. The new bills – Assembly Bill 964 (A.B. 964), Senate Bill 570 (S.B. 570) and Senate Bill…
Read MoreStolen UCSF Laptops Contained PHI of Research Participants
The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has announced the burglary of a faculty member’s office involved the theft of a laptop computer contained the unencrypted, protected data of a number of individuals. The information included research and health information along with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and medical insurance details. The burglary occurred in May,…
Read MoreCybersecurity Services Being Outsourced Due to Lack of Skilled Staff
Cybersecurity incidents have risen by 48% over the course of the previous 12 months and industry experts predict that the volume of security incidents will rise further still throughout 2015 and 2016. This is not a problem that will just go away. Improving cybersecurity defenses to resist highly sophisticated attacks requires skilled staff, and with…
Read MoreStarting July 2015 PHI Data Encryption Mandatory for the State of New Jersey
New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, signed a new law in January that extends the reach of HIPAA, calling for New Jersey healthcare providers to make greater efforts to keep the electronic health records of patients secure. The new law will go into effect July 2015 and requires all covered entities to use data encryption software on…
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