Working With Offsite Vendors to Prevent Data Loss
Frequent headlines give us examples of how hackers are always prepared to break through firewalls and work their way around computer systems, gaining access to sensitive information that should have been more securely archived. The resulting data loss is followed by fines and damaged reputations.
Cyberattacks are on the rise, prompting healthcare officials to take more stringent measures to protect patient data against hackers. In 2014, cyberattacks originating in China resulted in 4.5 million of Community Health Services Inc.’s patients’ records, including Social Security numbers, being compromised.
Data loss through malicious attacks can result in names, addresses, birthdates and telephone numbers falling into the wrong hands, making the victims vulnerable to identity theft. Community Health is one of the largest hospital groups in the U.S., which means if it can happen to them, it can probably happen to your organization, regardless of how large or small it is.
A recent article in The Atlantic details a cyberattack on a hospital in Los Angeles that crippled a healthcare facility, leaving doctors without their patient data for a week. The attackers asked for a ransom of $3.6 million in Bitcoin in return for the records. Results of X-rays, CT scans and other medical imaging was unavailable, leaving some patients no other recourse than to leave the hospital for another that wasn’t compromised by hackers.
Accessing medical imaging studies is already an issue for many hospitals and critical care facilities across the country, due mostly to the proprietary systems being used to archive and access images. Rather than continue with a workflow that doesn’t fit well with the goals for improved patient care, providers are looking to offsite storage vendors for better protection against hackers while also gaining faster, more consistent access to their medical imaging.
The best offsite vendors are using vendor neutral archiving (VNA) technology that allows you to archive your images with them, regardless of the type of system you’re currently running. Another perk is that the vendor also allows you to share your data with other departments and other facilities.
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages to going with an offsite vendor is that your data is securely positioned with them, generally behind a vast number of security measures, including physical security on site. In this age of hacker activism, hospitals are doing everything they can to keep their data safe, and it’s in the Level IV datacenters that they’re finding the ultimate assurances that the data will remain under strict lock and key.
At OffSite Image Management, Inc., we use the highest levels of security to keep your information safe and your patient outcome goals on target. We have disaster recovery processes that also ensure you’ll have near 100 percent uptime. Call us today to get started with our 360 degree solution.