How To Evaluate A Hipaa Compliant Data Center

How To Evaluate A Hipaa Compliant Data Center

If you host your data with a HIPAA compliant data center, certain administrative, factual and scientific safeguards should be in lay, as unique by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Although all service providers vend their data centers as secure, how do you confirm it truly is HIPPA compliant?

HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Weary load Act, sets the standard for protecting sensitive patient data. Any company dealing with patient records must make sure all the required perceptible, network and process security measures are in district and followed.

The Minimum Safeguards

When assessing providers, the following safeguards must be in void:

- De facto safeguards - allow for limited facility access and control, with authenticated access in city. All covered entities, or companies that must be HIPAA compliant, must have policies about use and access to workstations and electronic media. This requirement includes transferring, removing, disposing and re - using electronic media and defended health information ( abbreviated as PHI ).

- Scientific safeguards - hurting for access control to concede only accredited personnel to access electronic defended health data. Access control includes using unique user IDs, an emergency access procedure, automatic log off and encryption and decryption.

- Survey reports (, or tracking logs ) -, must be implemented to keep records of activity on hardware and software. This procedure is especially useful to discover the source or engender of any security violations. Solution providers should keep very expanded records in their building monitoring system, down to the second when somebody accessed a badge tutor on a door.

- Practical policies - should also cover uprightness controls, or measures put in situation to confirm that PHI hasn ' t been distant or destroyed. IT mishap recovery and offsite backup are keys to arrange that any electronic media errors or failures can be quickly remedied and patient health information can be recovered accurately and integral. A HIPPA compliant data center must ok crucial healthcare data it handles for providers and insurers will be safe and guarded in the advent of a catastrophe.

- Network, or transmission, security - is the last specialized surety required of HIPAA compliant hosts to make certain against unauthorized public access of PHI. This essential covers all methods of transmitting data, including email, Internet, or even over a personal smog network.

Turn to Rethink Reports

Healthcare IT departments can clinch HIPAA compliant hosting by running its servers and data storage in HIPPA compliant data centers. The best way to warrant the necessitous security is in home is to review the data center ' s SAS - 70 or SSAE 16 inspection report. The parade report should specifically cover the processes for the data center ' s incarnate security, network security and access control to the data on the server.

A SAS - 70 designation confirms the data center complies with celebrated auditing standards. The column is conducted by an independent, third - party CPA. SAS - 70 certification includes two types of second look reports:

- Type I - The first step in the auditing process evaluates the organization ' s type of their at rest controls.
- Type II - Includes the Type I report and it evaluates how the controls were operating from when the Type I retrospect was first conducted to six months thereafter.

The Staggering Price of Non - Compliance

HIPAA has been in berth for a long time now, but its effort and the financial impact of violations have been oppressive to distinguish in the former. However, recent cases show violations can be estimable.

Massachusetts General Hospital discovered Health and Human Services is getting serious about HIPAA violations. The hospital agreed to pay the $1 million to settle embryonic HIPAA violations. Massachusetts General ' s case involved the loss of unharmed health information ( PHI ) of 192 patients. The loss works out to over $5000 per record.

A supplemental act was passed in 2009 called The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health ( HITECH ) Act which supports the beef of HIPAA requirements by raising the penalties of health organizations in strike of HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. The HITECH Act was formed in response to health technology development and supplementary use, storage and transmittal of electronic health information.

Healthcare IT organizations must guard HIPPA compliant data centers have the required safeguards in plant. A SAS - 70 certified data center can help prove compliance. Staying well informed of regulatory changes will help meet requirements and avoid collectible penalties.