As more businesses operate in the cloud, the risk of hackers becomes more apparent. This environment remains dangerous and needs to be evaluated. So how do you protect your data environment and remain HIPAA compliant in the cloud?

As we look back over 2016, we can see that data breaches seem to be an inevitable risk. Medical information is especially targeted as it is rich in content with all the elements needed to steal your identity.

While recently visiting a few physician offices where texting is commonplace among physicians and staff, I asked staff whether they were following the HIPAA safeguards for texting.  Most often, the answer was met with “Sure, we are HIPAA compliant. No worries here.”

In today’s world, we rely on computer technology whether in fixed locations, like a workstation desktop computer, or when using mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, or other personal digital assistants (PDAs). All require protections if they are used to store or transmit confidential information.

There have been several healthcare data breaches that have made the mainstream news, and they have sounded a major alarm on the cybersecurity issues in the healthcare industry. Patients, insurers, and employees are most impacted by these breaches.