There is no denying the fact that cyber threats are on the rise. Cyber threats are growing in sophistication with each passing year. However, what is more alarming is the fact that most organizations are unable to effectively address and avert these threats. A recent PWC survey reveals that nearly 62 percent of organizations do…
“Heart-bleed” is a serious and unique vulnerability in the most accepted version of SSL. A large part of the web servers on the internet use OpenSSL to safeguard data and user accounts, and the latest “Heart-bleed bug” only affects OpenSSL’s 1.0.1 and the 1.01f versions. Given that the Secure-Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security…
Although only a small percent of healthcare entities actually go through a "Meaningful Use" audit, in reality it is the anxiety of a single misstep, setting off an audit or a penalty that is a major concern for a number of healthcare CIOs. Healthcare entities are in a quandary, trying to determine if their EHR…
With the OCR ramping up enforcement activities, and issuing a number of HIPAA compliance settlements, it has become imperative for healthcare entities to act swiftly, and meet all the requirements to successfully survive any OCR breach investigations and upcoming audits. The OCR is clearly sending a message that they are taking seriously their responsibility to…
Neglecting and not complying with HIPAA rules are certain to attract enormous penalties. Proof of this is the latest hefty HIPAA penalty from the Federal Regulators. This large settlement totaling $4.8 million with New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University, involved the breach of unsecured patient data on a network that affected about 6,800 patients, and…
Although there has been enough and more said about the importance of encryption in safeguarding protected health information (PHI), data breaches resulting due to lack of encryption seem to still be occurring. Almost every other day there is a new headline about a healthcare institution or a hospital encountering a HIPAA breach. It is disturbing…
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights actively preparing for the next round of HIPAA compliance audits are encountering mixed reviews. The OCR is planning a limited number of “desk audits” that include 350 covered entities and 50 business associates, with complete on-site audits being conducted only “as resources allow,” according…
With a number covered entities not even knowing who their business associates are, it is no surprise that there are many of them dealing with the challenge of ensuring that their business associates are HIPAA compliant. Revising existing business associate agreements and getting more Business Associates to sign agreements, are topping the HIPAA Omnibus Rule…
With the OCR not indulging in follow-up questions this time around, healthcare enterprises are deprived of the opportunity of clarifying matters with the auditors. Your policies and procedures therefore need to speak for themselves, and sufficiently demonstrate your compliance levels. Yes, documentation is more important than ever in the Phase 2 of the HIPAA compliance…
Unlike the usual HIPAA audits conducted earlier, round two of the HIPAA audits is to be a limited number of focused “desk audits,” along with a comprehensive on-site audits, performed by none other than the staff of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights. The OCR intends to conduct HIPAA compliance…
