Category: Security

Looking to keep your patient's data safe? You'd be wise to remember that human error often lies at the core of a breach, and build your efforts from there. read more original article source From: http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/patient-data-protection-lets-get-back-basics/2013-06-24?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Roughly 300 medical devices from 40 vendors were found to have password vulnerability problems, according to an alert recently issued by the Department of Homeland Security. read more original article source From: http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/password-problems-plague-plethora-med-devices/2013-06-21?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

A Medicare contractor's failure to adequately implement security controls over USB devices put sensitive information for more than six million Medicare beneficiaries at risk, according to a report published this month by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General. read more original article source From: http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/poor-usb-security-puts-info-6-million-medicare-beneficiaries-risk/2013-06-19?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

For healthcare providers looking to ensure the security of electronic patient information, it's just as important to solidify employee knowledge as it is to encrypt data and implement improved IT solutions, said Lee Kim, an attorney with Pittsburgh-based firm Tucker Arensberg who also serves as chair of the mHIMSS Legal/Policy Taskforce. read more …read more…

A host of medical groups are up in arms over a proposal by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in April that potentially would allow protected mental health information to be reported to a federal gun background-check database. read more original article source From: http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/med-groups-express-concern-over-proposed-hipaa-changes/2013-06-14?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

With hackers and cyberattacks increasing as threats to medical devices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week published new guidance calling for developers and healthcare facilities to beef up security efforts while creating and using those devices. read more original article source From: http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/fda-calls-increased-health-it-cybersecurity-efforts/2013-06-14?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital has suffered its third data breach in four years, and its second in six months, this one effecting potentially 12,900 patients. read more original article source From: http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/lucile-packard-suffers-second-data-breach-six-months/2013-06-14?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

With the issue of government transparency becoming the topic du jour on the heels of the recent NSA controversy, it’s fair to ask: have the CMS and HHS released enough claims data on hospital outpatient charges? Some, like athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush and U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., don’t seem to…

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford is notifying nearly 13,000 patients by mail that a password-protected, non-functional laptop computer that could potentially contain limited medical information on pediatric patients was stolen from a secured, badge-access controlled area of the hospital sometime between May 2 and May 8. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford is notifying…