Understanding PHI: Strategies for Protecting Sensitive Health Information in Healthcare Institutions.
In the rapidly evolving health IT environment, healthcare organizations are urged to implement a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy to safeguard protected health information (PHI). This strategy involves a proactive, layered approach, combining technical safeguards, administrative controls, and incident recovery procedures.
Key recommendations include annual penetration testing and vulnerability scanning to proactively identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in healthcare IT systems. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and encryption are essential for securing electronic PHI (ePHI), both at rest and in transit.
Healthcare providers must maintain a written risk management plan, which is reviewed yearly, and conduct annual HIPAA Security Rule compliance audits to identify vulnerabilities and verify adherence to policies. Implementing role-based access controls restricts PHI access to authorized personnel only, while robust malware defenses involve antivirus and anti-malware tools, email and web filtering, and application controls.
Maintaining a written technology asset inventory and a detailed network system map is crucial for vulnerability management, incident response, and regulatory compliance oversight. Organizations must have documented recovery procedures to restore systems and data within 72 hours in the event of a breach or ransomware attack.
Compliance with HIPAA’s Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules is foundational, complemented by adherence to related regulations such as GDPR where applicable. Periodic staff training on cybersecurity awareness and policies is essential to address human factors in information security.
As the digital transformation of healthcare continues, implementing a zero-trust framework becomes increasingly important to ensure patient data privacy and regulatory compliance. Any attack that involves a patient system or IoMT device could lead to a compliance breach, making the security of medical devices like infusion pumps as important as traditional IT systems.
Storing PHI in the cloud can have challenges, but healthcare organizations can still protect their data in the cloud by selecting a HIPAA-compliant hosting provider. While some requirements for protected health information (PHI) were waived during the public health emergency, penalties will be reinstated once it ends on May 11, 2023.
Healthcare delivery organizations are under regulatory compliance pressure to ensure the safe handling of patient data such as electronic health records and e-PHI. Cybersecurity is not just about responding to or preventing attacks, but also about protecting patient care, revenue, and reputation. Stricter protections for PHI mean that providers have to ensure their cybersecurity programs are up to date to meet the latest industry needs, as outlined in updated National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines.
Working with a security partner can help healthcare organizations create a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is transforming healthcare, providing clinicians with access to patient data through devices like wearables and sensors. MDS2 documents are valuable resources for improving the security posture of medical devices, containing information about risk management and medical device security controls.
According to UC Berkeley’s Human Research Protection Program, PHI includes any information found in medical records or clinical data sets that can be used to identify an individual and has been collected, used, or disclosed while providing a healthcare service. Nearly 75 percent of patients surveyed by the American Medical Association are concerned about protecting the privacy of their health data, highlighting the importance of robust cybersecurity measures in healthcare.
Cybersecurity technology plays a crucial role in the layered approach of healthcare organizations' cybersecurity strategy, which includes proactive measures like annual penetration testing and vulnerability scanning. Multi-factor authentication and encryption are essential technologies for securing electronic protected health information (ePHI).
Incorporating technology assets inventory and a detailed network system map is crucial for vulnerability management, incident response, and regulatory compliance in healthcare, as the digital transformation increasingly demands a zero-trust framework for patient data privacy.
