Healthcare Compliance and Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is revolutionizing every facet of healthcare services. HIPAA- compliant storage, applications, and varied networks worldwide are trending to the cloud, solving complex infrastructure issues and data protection solutions.

Long Island Tech Solutions: What Is the Cloud?

The fundamental premise of the cloud is to provide a computing model to enable ubiquitous,  convenient, on-demand network access. The cloud is a shared pool of configurable computing resources (servers, networks, storage, applications, and proprietary services) that can be rapidly provisioned with minimal management or provider interaction.

Cloud compliance within the healthcare space continues to be identified as a pivotal facet for protecting patient data. Cloud innovation continues to evolve, and lax protection cannot be permitted. There is no resolution in sight to skyrocketing ransomware and malicious code attacks.

The following post highlights a few of the challenges and innovations healthcare organizations face in a world of increasing cloud adoption and rampant cyber-raids.

  • Attacks Are on the Rise
  • HIPAA Compliance
  • Compliance in the Cloud
  • Innovate in a Multi-Cloud World 

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Varied healthcare industries ranked personalized care (52%) and AI assistants (44%) positively impacting cloud adoption.  Patient portals, mobility, and back-end development are actively being harnessed to work with groundbreaking  cloud applications.

LI Tech Solutions provides breakthrough Managed Services Support for Long Island and worldwide healthcare.  LI Tech’s regulatory compliance division can equip your enterprise with proprietary hybrid cloud frameworks to mitigate any malware attack. (516) 210-6400

Healthcare cost restraints and data protection solutions rooted in the cloud are rapidly being implemented worldwide. Ransomware, service denials, and other malicious codes are proliferating more than ever before.

Streamlining Healthcare Data Management with Managed IT Services in Long Island

Attacks Are on the Rise

Millions of individuals are being affected by extortion-based ransomware attacks carried out against healthcare companies:

  • 48,000 patients of CarePointe Enterprises, an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist in Merrillville, Indiana, announced a ransomware attack on June 21, 2021
  • Atlanta Allergy and Asthma reported an assault on 9,851 of its patients in January of 2021. 

Callout 2- laptop diagnosis with stethoscope on computer-Attacks Are on the Rise-4 bullet points

Attacks against healthcare continue to escalate. SonicWall gave its mid-year threat assessment. In just the first six months of 2021:

  • Cryptojacking increased by 23%
  • Encrypted threats rose by 26%
  • IoT attacks increased by 59%
  • Ransomware rose by 151%

HIPAA Compliance

Healthcare organizations worldwide are under intensifying pressure to satisfy the mounting demands of patients and administrative compliance.  Data security is a motivating factor for cloud deployment decisions by a majority of healthcare firms. Cost concerns placed a distant third.

Healthcare, across every industry vertical, must use care when implementing cloud-based solutions. The HIPAA Privacy Rule vigorously protects an individual’s information when dealing with any electronic activity. 

HIPAA compliance requires healthcare systems to have appropriate physical, administrative, and technical safeguards protecting PHI and ePHI files.

Read more in our article: Healthcare’s Digital Transformation: Why It Matters

New York City’s Best MSP: LI Tech Solutions (516) 210-6400

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A substantial impediment to adopting cloud services is the treatment by HIPAA of external cloud partners. Healthcare Cloud vendors or subcontractors are compelled to secure an individual’s PHI to HIPAA standards. This element alone is intimidating to many smaller, under-resourced companies on the Cloud’s periphery.

The HIPAA Omnibus Rule is another fundamental safeguard of patient histories. Healthcare companies and their business associates/subcontractors must enter into a transaction agreement delineating the proposed uses of a patient’s personal healthcare information (PHI). If an associate runs afoul of the HIPAA law, the originating healthcare company can be held directly liable for the breach.

Technology functions differently in the healthcare space because of how electronic data is processed and stored.

Compliance in the Cloud: LI Tech Solutions Shows You How

HIPAA compliance in a world of accelerating advancements in cloud computing is a daunting task for every healthcare entity.

In 2014, NIST set a Cybersecurity framework for industries to establish cloud compliance within the  HIPAA Rules and Regulations. Loopholes, uncovered by enterprising cyber-attackers, must be sealed with the help of determined American IT companies. 

Framework Foundation:

  • Identify personnel, devices, systems, and facilities and define their importance to the organization and business objectives. Prioritize the organization’s cloud mission and its objectives. Define cybersecurity roles, responsibilities, and corresponding risk-management arrangements.
  • Monitor regulatory risk and operational governance.
  • Establish risk tolerances and cloud priorities.
  • Ensure personnel is adequately trained to maintain cloud security obligations.

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Innovate in a Multi-Cloud World

Healthcare is no longer a quaint little doctor sitting in a book-filled room, just down the street. Physician groups around the globe draw on the competence of countless other professionals connected to the unparalleled cloud foundation.

Regulatory frameworks, HIPAAGDPR,  and HITRUST, among other agencies, afford protection for various patient-critical environments. Healthcare continues its universal adoption of the cloud and its sophisticated technologies. 

Multi-Cloud offerings and hybrid technologies offered by elite IT service companies, LI Tech Solutions, and others, innovate and leverage data in real-time.

LI Tech Solutions is an elite managed services provider for the healthcare sector in Long Island. (516) 210-6400

Managed IT services for non-profits are an emerging area of technology. LI Tech Solutions and other elite IT firms, offer powerful implementation and consulting of deep-dive cloud frameworks. 

Machine learning and AI have become embedded in every facet of healthcare, providing powerful insights and network security. Unusual behavior can be identified in every application, user, and cloud workload to mitigate threats before damage is done.

Data encryption has developed into a strategic ingredient in a layered approach to patient care. Organizations must map out when each PHI file enters its network environment, where the file is being stored, and where the file exits the network. 

HIPAA requires each healthcare company to encrypt and decrypt electronic health information for each of its patients. (ePHI)   

HIPAA does not stipulate what degree of encryption is required for PHI files. However, best practice across the industry recommends AES-128, AES-256 or better.

Key segments of the healthcare sector continue to identify shifting models made up of multi-cloud structures and HIPAA compliance. 

Implementation of advanced technologies within the cloud and healthcare R&D divisions remains robust and challenging.

How Data Compliance and Cybersecurity Differ

When you run a business, compliance and cybersecurity are two essential factors. Both are equally important for the seamless operation of your business. While compliance helps your business stay within the limits of industry or government regulations, security protects the integrity of your business and sensitive data.

It is worth noting that although security is a prime component of compliance, compliance does not equal security. This is because compliance does not consider the growing threat landscape and associated risks. What it considers, however, is a set of pre-defined policies, procedures, controls, etc. 

If an audit concludes that these pre-defined elements are adequate and your business adheres to them, everything is considered “okay” from a compliance standpoint. However, you still may not be up to scratch from a security standpoint, which only goes to show that you can be compliant but still fall short on security.

In other words, because compliance requirements take a predictable path and change slowly, the compliance landscape lags behind the rapidly changing, unpredictable security landscape.

Now, let’s find out how your business can benefit by combining compliance and cybersecurity.

 

Get Covered With Security and Compliance Solutions

There are multiple security loopholes that you must proactively fix to stay out of danger. You can do it by deploying suitable security solutions. A few common security loopholes and related solutions are:

1. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) 

APTs across three attack pillars endpoints, network and the cloud — are capable of paralyzing hybrid/remote/on-site work environments. Experts estimate the global APT protection market to be worth close to $6 billion in 2021 and $12 billion in 2025.(1) This statistic highlights the trouble caused by APTs. The best way to tackle it is by deploying a solution that can: 

  • Offer 24/7 monitoring and threat hunting
  • Efficiently block malicious actors that evade firewalls and antivirus systems

2. Insider threats skyrocketing at alarming rates

Over the last two years, insider incidents have increased by 47%.(2) What makes the scenario even worse is the fact that insider threats are tough to detect. That’s why it is advisable to have an advanced internal threat detection solution that combines machine learning and intelligent tagging to identify anomalous activity, suspicious changes and threats caused by misconfiguration.

3. Lack of clarity about the network

Keeping track of all the computers, mobile phones, printers and servers on your business’ network is challenging, especially in today’s increasingly remote-first approach to work. But without knowing the devices on your network, it is not possible to know your IT network’s health. To combat this problem, you need an automated assessment and documentation solution capable of identifying risks to all assets, including those not physically connected to the network.

4. Untrained employees and credentials getting sold on the dark web

  • When your employees are untrained and are unaware of risky actions, it could lead to severe security setbacks. For example, an employee carelessly clicking on a phishing link could lead to a full-blown ransomware attack on your business. 
  • Another major cybersecurity issue that you may encounter is when your credentials get sold on the dark web. Experts estimate that 60% of the information available on the dark web could negatively affect most businesses’ security and financials.(3)
  • Remember that inadequate data access protocols are not just a security issue but can also land you in hot water with regulators.

Tackle all the above issues by deploying industry-best solutions for security awareness training, dark web monitoring and identity/access management.

Just like security loopholes, you must also fix compliance loopholes the moment you spot them. Non-compliance can even lead to regulators levying penalties as high as 4% of your company turnover.(4) Beyond financial loss, you will also have to face stakeholder dissatisfaction, drop in market share, etc. To avoid such trouble, use a solution that automates compliance processes and generates insightful reports that document compliance.

 

Convergence of Cybersecurity and Compliance

Most companies have at least minimum protection in place, such as an antivirus on workstations/active firewalls. However, you must make sure that your business’ security posture can withstand the growing cyberthreat landscape. With some effort, you can incorporate your security solutions into your compliance strategy as well. 

By carefully bringing both security and compliance together systematically, you can reduce risks significantly. To ramp up your organization’s security posture, you can implement strong authentication, data protection, access monitoring, network-to-edge defenses, etc. By routinely validating the effectiveness of these solutions once they’re in place, you can ensure your organization is taking the necessary measures to avoid non-compliance and security breaches. 

 

Ready to take the next step? We can help.

 

Register for a consultation to learn more about how LI Tech Solutions can help you combine compliance and cybersecurity to prevent data compliance issues.

 

Sources:

  1. Statista
  2. 2020-Global-Cost-of-Insider-Threats-Ponemon-Report
  3. CSO Online
  4. GDPR Associates

First Step to Compliance: A Thorough and Accurate Risk Assessment

Complying with data privacy and protection regulations wouldn’t give several business owners sleepless nights if it only meant installing a predefined list of security solutions. Compliance goes way beyond this and for good reason. In principle, regulators, local or international, want businesses to:

  • assess the type of data they store and manage
  • gauge the potential risks the data is exposed to
  • list down the remediation efforts needed to mitigate the risks
  • undertake necessary remediation efforts regularly
  • and most importantly, document every single step of this seemingly arduous process as evidence

Each of the above steps are mandatory and non-negotiable. A closer look will tell you that installing a list of expensive security solutions comes only after the first three steps in the process have been followed. Skipping past these initial steps and acting merely on presumptuous knowledge is tantamount to leaving your business’ future to sheer chance. It’s anyone’s guess what that would lead to.

That’s why we’re going to explain to you why a thorough and accurate risk assessment is truly the first step towards achieving compliance. Moreover, when repeated regularly, it can help you demonstrate continuous compliance while keeping cyberthreats at bay.

 

Security Risk Assessments Unearth Crucial Insights

A thorough and accurate risk assessment can unearth a host of crucial insights from even the deepest and darkest alleys of your IT environment to ultimately empower your decision making. Having actionable insights at your disposal can help you build strategies to reduce risk levels in practical ways instead of shooting in the dark by testing various tools.

Here are some of the most important details that become more apparent and unambiguous with every risk assessment.

 

Baseline of the System

A risk assessment helps you chart out the lifecycle of all data that is collected, stored and managed in your entire network.

 

Identification of Threats

A meticulous risk assessment identifies all the possible threats, such as intentional, unintentional, technical, non-technical and structural, that your business data is exposed to. 

 

Identification of Vulnerabilities

With each assessment, you get the latest list of vulnerabilities prevalent in your network with respect to patches, policies, procedures, software, equipment and more.

 

Current Status of Existing Controls

From the assessment report, you can also understand the existing security and privacy controls protecting your business against vulnerabilities.

 

Probability of Impact Is Critical to Compliance

An accurate assessment report is fully capable of anticipating the probability of a threat that might exploit one of your network’s existing vulnerabilities.

 

Strength of Impact

Risk assessment also helps you gauge the possible impact of any threat hitting your business.

Imagine how easy it would be for you to build and implement a strategy to fix the security loopholes in your business while maintaining a well-documented record of your efforts.

 

Why Risk Assessment Is Needed for Compliance

While assessing whether you did everything in your capacity to ensure full compliance with the regulations, you also need to keep in mind that a regulator seeks evidence of compliance – documented reports. Besides helping you chart a successful path to compliance, a thorough risk assessment adds great weightage to demonstrating evidence of compliance. When you present the risk assessment reports along with other documentation, you demonstrate how your business carried out due diligence in upholding principles of data privacy and protection.

Please remember that no regulator expects you to have a fail-safe strategy. What matters is uncompromising intent, informed action and undeterred consistency. If you can demonstrate all this, you will most likely avoid any punitive action as well as a long list of problems could that surface afterwards.

 

Compliance Help Is Just a Conversation Away

Contrary to what is often claimed, there are no shortcuts to compliance or to any of the steps that lead to it. At the outset, achieving compliance might seem grueling. However, it isn’t as bad as it seems when due process and expert guidance is followed.

A conversation with us is all you need so we can help you walk through the complexities of risk assessment with diligent and customized guidance.

 

Article curated and used by permission.

What Is Compliance as a Service?

Cloud computing and its underlying technologies have changed or challenged every business precept most of us are familiar with. The ”as a Service” moniker has been developed in a variety of industries. Marketers are now using “XaaS” or “Everything as a Service” to confuse everyone.

A concept with global implications and staying power is the emerging industry of Compliance as a Service. No matter the industry or company size, each organization must adhere to some form of law or regulation as part of its operations.

Compliance as a Service is an emerging technology and industry that may soon be needed by a majority of the world’s businesses. The following post highlights recent developments in regulatory compliance and defines what CaaS brings to the table.

  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Compliance as a Service
  • Four Verticals That Are a Fit for CaaS
  • Industries Needing a CaaS Provider

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Regulatory Compliance

Compliance mandates touch every industry on earth. The five most regulated industries in the United States:

  • Petroleum and coal manufacturing
  • Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution
  • Motor vehicle manufacturing
  • Nondepository credit intermediation
  • Depository credit intermediation

In our daily lives, regulatory compliance touches each one of us in some way or another. A majority of people have no clue about the guidelines we follow.

For example, manufacturing concerns must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). If you went grocery shopping today, the food you purchased is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, Health and Human Services, or Department of Agriculture. 

Simply put, a business must follow regulations set by the state, federal, and international law. Specific requirements depend largely on the industry and type of business. Regulatory compliance helps drive accountability in the workplace.

Businesses are finding efforts to stay compliant extremely difficult; because an industry environment shifts, and businesses must tweak their approach, Again. Compliance targets constantly evolve.

Hackers probe vulnerable networks in every corner of the globe. Ransomware is taking a massive toll on infrastructure as the government seems ill-prepared for the onslaught.

Years of cybersecurity apathy have led to staggering increases in pirate attacks. Heavily regulated industries are turning to organizations offering regulatory compliance.

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Compliance as a Service | Get The Best CaaS with Long Island Tech Solutions

Compliance as a service is a relatively new entrant in the market with international implications. CaaS offerings are designed for companies in intemperate industries such as banking, healthcare, and automotive.

CaaS is a cloud-based contract specifying how an MSP will help an organization meet its regulatory mandates. The goal of a CaaS provider is to reduce a company’s regulatory burden.

CaaS providers may feature several solutions. These methods may include assessing a company’s current regulatory governance, develop risk and compliance strategies, and help the organization create strategies that support compliant best practices.

Transparency is the name of the game for CaaS providers. Companies offering regulatory assistance are developing complex services to meet the growing demand.

Cybersecurity complacency has many companies and governments playing catch-up to some of the best coders in the world. December 2020, United States authorities are still trying to unravel a broad cyber-attack on nine government agencies and over 100 companies. The MEP National Network is the government’s answer to rampant cyber threats in manufacturing.

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Industries Needing  a CaaS Provider

Keeping data safe is creating a compliance nightmare for multinational conglomerates. Before long, every business on earth may need some form of compliance service or, at the very least, a compliance officer.

Businesses face a growing landscape of changing regulations with the ever-evolving threat of cyber-attack. Non-compliance is not an option and can result in sizable fines, loss of customers, and in extreme cases, business closure. 

Long Island Tech Solutions Identifies Four Industries Perfect For CaaS services:

  • Healthcare must successfully deal with HIPAA, or they have no chance of staying in business. HIPAA compliance deals with a number of regulatory mandates, such as periodic auditing of every file on the books. Developing formal policies, employee training, documentation, and associate management can bury a medical office if not prepared. Plus, there are strict requirements in case of data breaches.
  • Government contractors are required to protect unclassified information. (CUI) The business must protect sensitive information, control permissions, and respond to security threats, among other regulations.
  • Retail is another industry that may need regulatory services sooner than later. If the business accepts credit cards, they must protect the card holder’s personal information. Regulations require a firewall, antivirus, and encryption. Compliant policies must be in place in case of an audit.

Manufacturing covers a broad range of disparate scenarios. Requirements are equally broad in their regulations which include environment, health, safety, and industrial hygiene. Quality management such as the ISO9001 standard may also need to be met.