Hipaa Overview
HIPAA Overview
Longhair Computers knows our healthcare clients have
HIPAA-compliance responsibilities and we are here to help. Our systems
and services are designed for absolute security and privacy, so we
integrate perfectly with your HIPAA compliance efforts, including HIPAA
off-site data backup (ODB).
The HIPAA Privacy Rule
HIPAA’s Privacy Rule, among other things, sets minimum standards
for the protection of confidential patient information, called PHI or
“Protected Health Information”. PHI must be protected against all
“reasonably anticipated” threats, physical and electronic. For the
average health care provider or health plan, the Privacy Rule requires
certain activities, such as:
• Providing information to patients about their privacy rights and how their information can be used.
• Adopting clear privacy procedures for its practice, hospital, or plan.
• Training employees so that they understand the privacy procedures.
• Designating an individual to be responsible for seeing that the privacy procedures are adopted and followed.
• Securing patient records containing individually identifiable
health information so that they are not readily available to those who
do not need them.
Longhair Computers is a premier ODB provider for healthcare
entities utilizing best practice data-serving technology and security
software. This means that the health data you backup off-site and store
with Longhair Computers ODB is protected to standards that meet or
exceed HIPAA’s requirements.
Currently, the algorithm that we are using to encrypt your files
is 128-bit Twofish. It is a block cipher designed by Counterpane Labs.
It was also one of the five Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
finalists chosen by National Institute of Standard and Technology
(NIST). It has been subjected to frequent public
reviews but no known attack against this algorithm has been
reported. It would require 8.77 x 1017 years to crack our 128-bit
encryption.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Your patients’ PHI remains safe, secure, and private with Longhair Computers HIPAA compliant ODB.
The HIPAA Security Rule
HIPAA’s Security Rule establishes a new term: “ePHI”, or
“Electronic Protected Health Information”. ePHI is any PHI that is in
electronic or digital form. With the increasing use of computers and
networks, PHI is increasingly becoming ePHI. From patient tracking, to
testing and diagnosis, to treatment and care, the medical community is
creating mountains of electronic health information that has to be
protected. And Longhair Computers OBD is the best data backup and
protection solution available.
The Security Rule (section 164) specifically requires, among other
things, that the following safeguards be used to protect ePHI:
1. Data Backup Plan – 164.308(a)(7)
2. Disaster Recovery Plan – 164.308(a)(7)
3. Emergency Mode Operations Plan – 164.308(a)(7)
4. Emergency Access Procedures – 164.312(a)(1)
5. Data Backup and Storage – 164.310(d)(1)
6. Contingency Operations – 164.310(a)(1)
7. Encryption & Decryption – 164.312(a)(1) and 164.312(e)(1)
For each of these security requirements, Longhair Computers supports you in your compliance efforts: (con’t)
What is ODB
Business productivity today depends on its technology infrastructure whether it be a laptop, desktop or racks of servers in four cities worldwide. The information age has created crucial data all over the place and companies are struggling to assemble a consistent disaster recovery plan to meet their needs.
Longhair Computers Oline Data Backup (ODB) can give companies a centralized backup strategy even if their network is decentralized and all without investing thousands in hardware or organizing the manpower to manage it.
How it Works
Below you will find a diagram of the secure
process that we use when uploading files to be backed-up on our servers
from your computer. Please keep in mind, for large files you wish to
back-up, a high-speed internet connection is recommended for optimal
performance with our software.
OUR STORAGE FEATURES
• 24/7 Temperature and Humidity Controlled Environment
• FM200 Gas-Based Fire Suppression System
• Uninterruptible Power Supply
• Water Leakage Detection
HIPPA Con’t
1. Data Backup Plan – Leading IT experts agree that backing up critical data frequently and off-site is one of the best ways to protect your business, and reduce your risk from data losses. Your data backup plan should include Longhair Computers ODB, the most secure, cost-effective choice for data backup.
2. Disaster Recovery Plan – In an uncertain world, a disaster recovery plan is worth its weight in gold, especially where critical patient data is involved. After a disaster, secure and immediate access to your data is crucial element of the disaster recovery process. If your own servers and networks are down or damaged, rely on Longhair Computers off-site data backup to keep your data safe and accessible whenever and wherever you need it.
3. Emergency Mode Operations Plan – Some disasters and emergencies last longer than others. If you have to execute your Emergency Mode Ops Plan, it means you’re dealing with an extended outage of your normal operations. In such a scenario, Longhair Computers ODB is your most reliable and secure data resource. You can run your operations from almost anywhere as long as you have your data. And nobody provides safer, more secure storage and access to your data than Longhair Computers ODB.
4. Emergency Access Procedures – Emergency access may be needed for any number of reasons: a fire or flood in your building; a sudden legal challenge; or the death of a key IT employee. Just as with Emergency Mode Operations and Disaster Recovery, Longhair Computers facilitates secure, 24/7 access to your data whenever and wherever you need it.
5. Data Backup and Storage – Threats to your data can come from many directions: human error; theft or sabotage; device failures; etc. That’s why an essential requirement of HIPAA’s Security Rule is data backup and storage. Don’t make the ke the mistake of storing and backing up you data on your own site. Experts universally agree that off-site storage, done right, is more secure than on-site storage, and reduces your risk of data loss. With Longhair Computers ODB, you can restore your data in mere seconds, all the way back to when you first started with our ODB, from any day, on any file.
6. Contingency Operations – As with Emergency Mode Operations, Contingency
Operations require you to keep working under difficult circumstances. When your
operating environment is uncertain or in flux, Longhair Computers ODB is your rock-solid data resource, protecting your digital assets from hackers, natural disasters, or just a simple computer crash every day of the year.
7. Encryption & Decryption – Because it protects data from prying eyes, encryption and decryption were made an essential HIPAA requirement. Longhair Computers ODB’s process compresses and encrypts prior to transmitting over a secure internet channel (SSL), so rest assured your data is safe. Our 128-bit SSL encryption is 100% guaranteed.
Longhair Computers ODB Helps You Fulfill Your HIPAA Compliance Requirements with it’s ODB. Like HIPAA Compliance itself, protecting your critical data is a huge responsibility. Because we built our systems and services for specifically for security and privacy, HIPAA Covered Entities can rely on our ODB to blend seamlessly with their HIPAA compliance efforts.
Longhair Computers is a premier ODB provider for HIPAA Covered Entities, utilizing best practice data-serving technology and security software. Without any installation fees or additional equipment to purchase, you can start protecting your data right now! On-line data backup is becoming the industry standard.