Healthcare workers must take a more proactive approach to implementing ideal practices for healthcare security.
Proper data security within the healthcare industry is harder then it seems. Healthcare workers and providers must balance protecting patient privacy while delivering excellent quality patient care and meeting the strict guidelines set by HIPAA and other regulations. Protected health information is among an individual’s most sensitive and private data, so it must be prioritized within proper cyber and data security measures. Healthcare workers must take a more proactive approach to implementing ideal practices for healthcare security. Here are some of the best network and data security tips for healthcare employees.
Educate Your Healthcare Staff
The human element remains one of the most significant threats to security across all industries, but mostly within the healthcare field. Simple human error or negligence could result in disastrous and expensive consequences for most healthcare organizations. Security awareness training helps healthcare employees by giving them requisite knowledge that’s necessary for making smart choices and using appropriate caution when dealing with patient data.
Restrict Access to Applications and Data
Implementing access controls helps bolster healthcare data security by restricting access to patient information and specific applications to only those users who need access for their jobs. Access restrictions need user authentication, ensuring that only certified users have access to any valuable data. Multi-factor authentication is a highly recommended approach, requiring users to validate that they’re the person who’s attempting to gain access to specific data and applications using two or more validation methods.
Implement Some Data Usage Controls
Protective data controls go far beyond the benefits of access controls and monitoring to ensure that malicious or risky data activity can be flagged and or blocked. Healthcare organizations can use data controls to prevent specific actions involving sensitive data, like web uploads, unauthorized email sends, or printing. Data discovery and classification play a significant supportive role in this process by ensuring that all sensitive data can be identified and labeled to receive the right level of protection.
Monitor and Log Use
Logging and monitoring all access and usage data are also very important. This allows providers and business associates to monitor which users are accessing information, applications, or other resources, when and from which locations and devices. These logs are valuable for the auditing process, helping organizations identify areas of worry and strengthen protective measures when needed.
Data security should always be prioritized within the healthcare industry, and especially now with the recent COVID-19 outbreak. For any questions on how to bolster your company’s data security, give En-Net Services a call today!
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