Data security has grown into a significant problem for healthcare organizations as the proliferation of electronic patient data grows. To meet HIPAA compliance regulations, organizations must protect PHI through integrity control, access control, audit control and network security.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is one of the simplest ways to increase network security, protect data transmission, provide encryption and meet other compliance requirements.
HIPAA compliance requires that covered entities must implement policies and procedures to ensure that ePHI is not improperly altered or destroyed. VPNs use authentication to confirm whether data has been accessed or tampered with, providing straightforward integrity control. Using pre-shared keys, a VPN can identify, authenticate and authorize user access.
A covered entity must implement centrally-controlled unique credentials for each user. A VPN that offers a centralized cloud management platform allows organizations to create customized user access to sensitive data. That includes cloud environments, SaaS services, sandbox and production environments, and more.
To protect against unauthorized public access to ePHI, authorized users must encrypt all data that is sent beyond an internal firewalled server. Using a VPN, data passing over any network is secured with advanced encryption. This creates a virtual tunnel so data can’t be intercepted by snoopers, hackers or third parties.
Organizations must implement hardware, software, and/or procedural mechanisms to record and examine access to information systems that contain or use ePHI. VPNs can offer detailed activity reports and network visibility by identifying and recording access to your systems and data.
Tasked with choosing the best way to store, access and back up ePHI, many healthcare technology companies and providers are looking at cloud computing.
Cloud-based VPN technology offers scalability, affordability and increased compatibility with cloud storage environments. Perimeter 81’s highly scalable, cost-effective and easy-to-use cloud VPN service offers built-in two-factor authentication, is SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliant, and gives companies of all industries and sizes the power to be confidently cloud-based and completely mobile.
