Data Security Should Come Before Compliance
Many IT managers have to adhere to a growing amount of federal regulations regarding data security. Most IT managers likely spend a great deal of their time making certain that their company is in compliance with these federal mandated regulations. Unfortunately, a lot of organizations and IT departments focus on the compliance portion and begin to lose sight of the main goal which is to protect against data breaches.
Many experts agree that it is very possible that an IT department can meet the basic compliance requirements without actually having their data secure. But fortunately there are tools in the marketplace that can provide security and also achieve the necessary compliance mandated by law.
A recent article provided an overview of the federal regulations that can affect any American business. The authors recommended three steps to help achieve regulatory compliance as well as securing critical data. These steps are:
1. Develop a set of well-defined security and compliance policies for the organization. 2. Deploy the right tools to protect the company’s system and all the platforms and apps within the system and finally 3. Develop a systematic backup strategy for the company’s data.
The alphabet soup of compliance is a jumble of acronyms like SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley), GLBA (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards), and FOIA (Freedom of Information Act). Fortune 500 corporations and organizations with dedicated IT staff have a much easier time understanding and addressing the compliance mandates. But for small and medium businesses, it can be overwhelming to even figure out where to begin.
Unless your business is a publicly traded entity governed by the SEC, SOX should not have any impact on you; unless you work for a government agency, it is unlikely that you need to concern yourself with FOIA. However, PCI DSS affects virtually every business, and many small and medium businesses fall under the guidelines of HIPAA, GLBA, or both.
Each of the individual regulatory or industry compliance mandates was developed to address specific concerns. Achieving and maintaining compliance is no easy feat for organizations of any size, and it can seem overwhelming for small and medium businesses. But if using the steps above and staying focused on security first, then the compliance portion should be met.
For more information check out this secure usb drive review.
Oliver David writes for Lok-it.neet and other publications on topics like data security and usb encryption.
White House Urges Passage of Legislation to Protect and Defend Against Cyber Hacking
The White House is urging Congress to create and complete legislation that would defend the country's energy grids, economic networks and transportation systems from cyber hacker attacks.
Harold Schmidt, the White House Cyber Security Coordinator recently wrote that considering that a legislative proposal was sent to Congress in May of 2011, there happen to be many information breaches and hacks cited. He mentioned, "The time is ripe to create proposal into law, and give the government and private sector the added tools necessary to fight people who would harm us."
The President's proposal outlined specifications for firms and state and neighborhood governments to report information breaches based on a brand new national common. Furthermore, the proposed law would enhance penalties for cyber crimes. It also would direct the Homeland Security Department to perform with banks, utilities and transportation operators to generate and implement plans to handle data/cyber security.
The U.S. Congress hasn't acted on the proposed legislation but is in search of other approaches to bring corporations as well as other agencies about to getting far more diligent in protecting sensitive data and supplies. There happen to be advised infrastructure protections against hack attacks by utilizing market standards, delivering incentives and to limit the quantity of government oversight and regulation.
The White House is concerned that with no a federal requirement to alert government officials when a serious intrusion takes place, there is certainly a genuine possibility that each national and financial security is going to be at threat. The White House believes that the Federal government need to and ought to know what exactly is happening when a firm or government agency is hacked as a way to take measures to bring the criminals to justice and to defend Americans.
Government officials in each the Congress along with the White House see the urgency of safeguarding sensitive and secure information, but disagree on the quantity of government monitoring and regulation which is necessary to help keep the country's economic, utilities and transportation systems and infrastructure protected from external cyber hackers.
Oliver David is a writer who has a background in data security with emphasis on encrypted flash drives and usb protection.
Spikes in Theft of Patient Healthcare Data
2011 has observed a spike inside the theft of patient data at the same time as the hacking of a lot of private and public wellness care associated databases. This really is not simply distressing for the patients who may possibly have had their sensitive data stolen, but additionally for the personnel and healthcare organizations which are responsible for permitting sensitive supplies to become taken.
Lately, thousands of UCLA Health System patients located out that they may possibly be at threat for identity theft due the theft of a challenging drive filled with patient's private data. A lot of occasions when challenging drives as well as other laptop or computer equipment is not very easily accounted for or is allowed to become taken off of the premises, they're either hacked into or stolen as a way to acquire, social security numbers, bank account data as well as other secure information. In this certain case, the challenging drive was taken for the duration of a burglary of a physician's property. The hard drive was encrypted, but a piece of paper that was sitting subsequent towards the laptop or computer was also missing. This piece of paper contained all of the passwords as well as other crucial data necessary to access the information.
The stolen data included names, birth dates, medical record numbers, addresses, private medical data that dated back to July 2007. Medical facility officials say it will not incorporate Social Security numbers, credit card or insurance particulars.
The hospital began to notify patients that their data may possibly happen to be taken and may be utilised in some manner by criminals. The wellness care IT officials stressed that it was quite unlikely that the data had been misused. Even so, they did recommend that the patients get in touch with information security firms to become specific that absolutely nothing illegal had occurred with their economic, medical and private information.
Like a lot of organizations that do not have plans in location plus a strategy to combat this theft, the organization located it needed to give assurances that the patients shouldn't be concerned and that inside the future far more layers of cyber security will be put into location as a way to keep their trust.
Oliver David is a noted contributor who has authored topics like data security. He's written secure usb flash drive review and also usb usb flash drive review.
Security of Digitally Kept Healthcare Data is Tricky
Health related data of people that are kept by using a digital platform are really prone to fraud if they may be not safely placed. One particular unpleasant incident of fraud has emerged just lately. SAIC (Science Applications International Corp.) had been liable for lost data of around 4.9 million recipients. They are told to pay for the expense of informing all those folks of fraud. The data had been kept on data tapes, not encrypted flash drives.
Thievery of health related data and various other personal data is a really vital concern and could lead to plenty of trouble for a person. Those details include quite personal data including SSN details, home address as well as contact number. These records could be utilized for identity fraud and various other similar criminal activities.
The data tapes had been ripped off from the automobile of the Science Applications International Corp. personnel. Science Applications International Corp. is lawfully responsible to safeguard health and fitness data and bear the expenses if there is any kind of disclosure of sensitive data. The expected expense that this company must deal with is around seven dollars for every individual. This might imply around thirty five million for 4.9 million recipients of TRICARE health care program.
In an effort to secure the health related data of people, the govt . has approved the '09 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Law. This law is introduced as a portion of '09 U.S. Recovery as well as Reinvestment Law. As per this specific law, a firm could be expected to pay a fee up to one and a half million if they're not able to guard health and fitness data.
In case there is a fraud of files, The Department of Health and Human Services has the 100 % authority to do an intensive examination of situation. if found accountable, the accountable business will need to bear the charges. A right group of professionals will look at the parties involved and subsequently present the verdict for the charges that needs to be compensated.
Health and fitness information is a person’s private belonging and thus must be kept safely and securely. In case any kind of disparity is identified, the liable person or body must be penalized and must be expected to bear the costs of actions necessary for damage control whenever possible. This secure USB flash drive review provides more info about data security.
The Importance of the Encrypted USB Flash Drive in Healthcare
Medical records nowadays are being collected, stored and distributed in different ways. The problem is that once it reaches a certain storage device, different kinds of intrusion attacks might happen. In a network setup, these attacks are avoidable through the use of a network security mechanism like a firewall, in which high level of protection and authentication is applied. But what if the data resides on a non encrypted flash drive? Will it still be safe from malicious attacks?
Medical records’ security on portable storage devices like USB flash drives is an issue that should be considered because it can cause considerable damage if confidential data are disclosed or maliciously altered. High levels of security should be implemented so that hackers will not be able to access the data inside the flash drives.
You should also remember that unauthorized access by medical employees is possible. Especially if that employee has hidden interests for the data, then he can alter or replicate it to cause damages. In most cases, a password- protected USB flash drive will be enough to maintain the data’s integrity. But if a skilled hacker comes into the scene then you will need a more powerful security feature.
To respond with the dire need of security mechanisms on USB flash drives, security development is being done continually and many are already available in the market. There are varieties of solutions in which you can choose from and they implement different authentication protocols to maintain the integrity of the medical records inside an encrypted flash drive. A high level of security is a must if you want to protect your data from higher level of attacks.
By now, you should already realize that no data should be left unprotected especially concerning healthcare records. That data is the basis of medical treatments and life-saving actions by medical staff, so if they are altered maliciously then many lives are in jeopardy. If they are exposed without consent then the confidentiality and privacy are violated.
Enjoying the benefit of data portability by using flash drives comes with a greater responsibility of protecting them from possible attacks. You can achieve this in many ways but keep in mind that every security feature has its advantages and disadvantages. You should analyze them properly so that you can provide the best possible security for their medical records.
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