The Role of Cybersecurity and Compliance in Exceptional Patient Care

Some things just go better together: dinner and a movie, peanut butter and jelly, and, of course, cybersecurity and compliance. You can’t have one of those without the other.

Considering that the healthcare industry is a top target for cybercrime, there’s no better place to be sure that cybersecurity and compliance go hand in hand.

What Is Cybersecurity?

Did you hear about the hacker who took stole a business’s data? They can’t find her; they think she ran some ware… 

If you work in the healthcare industry, you know the rising threat that ransomware poses to your patients’ data!

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting networks, systems, and programs from digital attacks, like phishing and ransomware. It’s a broad concept that encompasses many different types of defensive technologies and best practices. 

This includes firewalls, antivirus software, data encryption, two-factor authentication, user access control, system updates, backup services—all the things you need to make sure data is secure and protected.

What Is Compliance?

With the immense amount of data online (and much of it easily accessible to cybercriminals), organizations must be compliant with various regulations to protect patient privacy and data. Compliance means making sure businesses meet certain industry-specific or government-mandated safety requirements. For healthcare practices, HIPAA and the HITECH Act are two major compliance standards that practices and providers must follow.

Ongoing compliance might mean ensuring the security of their IT systems, training employees in proper data handling procedures, or creating protocols for reporting any breaches that do occur.

How Do Cybersecurity and Compliance Work Together?

So, what makes these two inseparable? Simply put, cybersecurity and compliance are two sides of the same coin when it comes to protecting personal data. Specific “rules” or best practices are outlined in compliance requirements and those practices usually require a cybersecurity tool or measure.

Both compliance and cybersecurity are there to protect your clients—and your business. With the right combination of compliance and cybersecurity in place, businesses can stay ahead of any potential threats and risks. This ensures that your clients are safe and secure when they access services with you.

Here’s an example: HIPAA requires that you protect any personal health information (PHI) you store and transmit. To comply with this, your business might use a secure cloud-based storage system to store patient records or use encryption software to ensure that PHI is kept private.

Creating Holistic Patient Care with Better Technology

Your focus is on helping your patients create a better life. But if you’re not dedicated to protecting their most sensitive information from exploitation and identity theft, you’re not providing the best level of care.

Cybersecurity and compliance are essential elements of creating a safe, secure environment for your patient data—and that’s what makes exceptional patient care possible. They go hand in hand to protect your patients from harm and keep their records confidential.

You can show your patients you care about their data by doing the following:

• Implementing the latest security measures to protect data
• Conducting compliance audits and performing regular assessments
• Training personnel in cybersecurity and privacy best practices
• Choosing secure applications and technologies

By taking these steps, you’ll build trust with your patients and improve their overall care experience.

You’re Healthcare Heroes; We’re IT Heroes

With Common Angle, you can trust that your technology is helping your patients.

We’ll work with you to create a secure and compliant IT environment that helps keep your facility running smoothly so you can focus on providing the best level of care for your patients. Let us help you be the healthcare hero your patients need and deserve!

Schedule a call with us today to talk about your facility and find out how we can help.