Electronic Health Records (EHR) are increasing as high-value targets for hackers.   If hackers continue at their current pace, they will have accessed every American’s private medical records at least once by 2024.  A patient’s private health information could then be sold to the highest bidder for a host malicious activities such as Ransomware, fraud or identity theft (ONYEKA JONES, tripwire.com, Electronic Health Records Under Attack: How to Protect and Secure These Critical Assets, May 22nd, 2018, https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-data-protection/electronic-health-records-under-attack-how-to-protect-and-secure-these-critical-assets/).  Health care providers need to secure and protect electronic health records, a responsibility that touches every person in your organization that has access to them, from the appointment setter/administrative professionals to management and doctors and nurses. In this blog, I’ll highlight 3 steps on how EHR’s can be secured and protected.

Recognize Unauthorized Changes in your EHR System

This means continuous monitoring.  Many data breaches go unnoticed for long periods of time, but with the right type of monitoring, when change (Click Here to Learn More About Ransomware) are made to your EHR system, an alert can be triggered to show which changes were made, such as passwords, and when they were made and by whom (ONYEKA JONES, tripwire.com, Electronic Health Records Under Attack: How to Protect and Secure These Critical Assets, May 22nd, 2018, https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-data-protection/electronic-health-records-under-attack-how-to-protect-and-secure-these-critical-assets/).  Without knowing the specific EHR system you have, it is almost impossible to provide more examples here.  But for a hassle-free consultation, feel free to contact RB’s Computer Service to inquire about our Managed IT Service Agreements.

Configure your Server to be Secure

Misconfigured server set up or put differently, a server set up without a focus on security protocols provides an opportunity for hackers to get into your EHR environment.  Ninety-four percent of malicious data access takes place because of compromised servers (ONYEKA JONES, tripwire.com, Electronic Health Records Under Attack: How to Protect and Secure These Critical Assets, May 22nd, 2018, https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-data-protection/electronic-health-records-under-attack-how-to-protect-and-secure-these-critical-assets/).   It is essential that configuration missteps are met with corrective measures immediately, and RB’s Computer Service remediation capabilities offer guidance for swift repair of non-compliant systems and security misconfigurations. Compliance with HIPAA Security Rule (Part 164) RB’s Computer Service provides for a number of solutions and in internal policy recommendations for health care providers to keep your EHR system HIPAA compliant.  For example, RB’s Computer Service’s Managed IT Service Agreements can help monitor your network for hacking attempts to help ensure your health data is not compromised. Keeping your EHR system in compliance with HIPAA Security Rule (Part 164) is essential for a number of reasons.  Building out an alert system and implementing policies to address them when an EHR system drifts out of HIPAA compliance is critical.  Taken a step further, RB’s Computer Service can work with your organization to help safeguard through training that everyone with access to your EHR system is on the same page, from the appointment setter/administrative professionals to management and doctors and nurses. RB’s Computer Service can guide your business in a direction that will help manage the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your “electronic protected health information” as required by HIPAA. 

Briefly highlighted above are 3 steps depicting ways EHR systems can be protected and secured.  However, in reality, there are more tools organizations can employ, such as deploying the use of commercial-grade routers.  RB’s Computer Service can help you navigate all these options.  For help with this, contact us via phone or email: 763-441-3884, or help@rbsmn.com.  In addition to EHR security and management strategies, RB’s Computer Service sells the best commercial-grade firewall routers, best laptop computers, best desktop computers, business computers, computer parts, and computer monitors plus offers computer repair, iPhone and smartphone repair and tablet repairs to customers and clients throughout central Minnesota and St. Cloud.