HIPAA Security Officer Archives

Suze Shaffer September 5, 2017February 1, 2024

By Aris Medical Solutions

So… you find a flash drive and you want to be a good Samaritan and return it to its rightful owner. Great idea, right? Criminals know this and they use it against us! They want our data!

Malware and viruses can be installed on a flash drive. When you open it and find there isn’t any real information to tell you who it belongs to, so you think “nothing” happened. Malicious code can be developed to do most anything today. It can immediately take over your system or it can lay in wait. Infecting and worming it’s way into your files and creating havoc and you not even know it until it is too late.

Best practices:

Never, EVER, insert a flash drive into your computer that you do not know where it came from.
Never insert a flash drive that was used in a home environment, home computers have a 73% chance of having some type of malware.
Never accept a flash drive that someone has used on their computer on a public Wi-Fi.
If you find a flash drive, ask around, or post on a bulletin board.
If you notice a flash drive in one of your computers that doesn’t belong there, report it to your HIPAA Security Officer immediately.

Be informed, be alert, and be diligent!

For more information on how Aris Medical Solutions can help your organization with HIPAA Compliance and Protecting your Data call 877.659.2467 or click here to contact us.

“Protecting Organizations through Partnership, Education, and Support”

Suze Shaffer June 15, 2016February 2, 2024

By Aris Medical Solutions

News broke that LinkedIn user account credentials were dumped on the dark web.
Back in 2012 is when the actually breach occurred, but now the data has surfaced for sale.

Although LinkedIn has taken reasonable advances to mitigate this problem, you still need to protect yourself as well. What that means to you is… you need to change your password as soon as possible. If you used this password anywhere else, you should change that as well. We also recommend implementing a two-step authentication on all sites that offer it. It is easy to set up and adds an extra measure to keep your data safe. Also be very cautious when answering or accepting new connections. Criminals have figured out how to look real, sound real, and get you to take their bait. They do leave clues, but you need to be diligent and read the communication carefully and do not click on any links. Open your web browser and type the name of the company and see if there are any warnings about the website. Your anti-virus (if you use a decent one) should notify you if the website has any suspicious activity.

An additional reason we bring this to your attention is because there are medical practices that have suffered a breach and they do not even know it. It may take years before this data surfaces or is sold. We not only work within this profession but we are also patients at medical facilities all over the country. We must do our part as employees as well as consumers to protect this (our) data. What you need to do:

Use strong passwords (phrases) and change them at least every 90 days.
Implement a two-step authentication anywhere it is available.
Uneducated employees cause most of the breaches, either by clicking on a link or through a lost or stolen device. Continuous education is of the utmost importance.
The use of encryption and/or auto-wipe/remote wipe on all devices that access or store Protected Health Information (ePHI).
Report any suspicious activity to your HIPAA Security Officer.
Be sure to review this report to determine if a breach has happened or potentially has happened.
Mitigate the risk to the best of your ability and make sure it is documented.

If you need assistance with a Risk Analysis, Risk Management Plan, or implementing a full set of HIPAA Policies and Procedures, call Aris at 877.659.2467 or click here to schedule a demo. We offer a full range of services from a Do-It-Yourself HIPAA program to a Full HIPAA Implementation package.

“Protecting Organizations through Partnership, Education, and Support”

Tag: HIPAA Security Officer

USB flash drives are a huge risk in healthcare!

By Aris Medical Solutions

When was the last time you updated your passwords on all internet sites?

By Aris Medical Solutions