SMB
Server. “We use Backup Exec System
Recovery as a business continuity tool,
which helps me sleep at night,”
Gardner states. “While Backup Exec
System Recovery restores files quickly,
we have never had to use this feature.”
going paperless securely
The move to electronic medical records
(EMR) gives SMB healthcare providers
access to critical patient data at a moment’s notice; keeping that information
secure is the challenge.
For Phoenix, Arizona-based Touchstone
Behavioral Health, an EMR system gave
them the ability to deliver improved
patient care and better support to the
therapists and counselors who provide
outpatient, home treatment, and pre-
Start With a risk analysis
The increased focus on protecting patient data and new industry regulations mandating frequent
certifications and time-consuming
audits, along with limited resources
to develop and implement a security
strategy, SMB healthcare providers
are faced with IT environments that
are becoming more complex,” says
Marc Holland, vice president of Market Research, HIMSS Analytics.
According to Holland, healthcare
providers should start with a risk analysis, also required by HITECH. Every
organization is going to be different,
including the risks. A risk assessment allows healthcare providers to
understand their environment—what
they’ve got today and how they want
to use data going forward—then look
at where the risks and vulnerabilities
are, prioritize the issues identified,
and fill in the gaps to make sure it’s
protected and secure.
“
Components of a Formal risk analysis
0
Internal
Threats
External
Threats
risk to
Confidentiality of
Patient Data
Effectiveness of
Security Controls
Evaluation of Policies
and Procedures
Risks to Integrity of
Patient Data
Risks to Availability
of Patient Data
Compliance
requirements
New Opportunities to
Improve Security
2010
2009
2008
20
40
60
80
100
