Stolen Laptops and Unencrypted Data Put Healthcare Organizations at Risk

While mobile computing is a fast growing trend in the healthcare industry, so is the risk of losing important patient information contained on mobile devices. Recently it was reported that a laptop computer containing information on 30,000 patients at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center was stolen, one of the largest of its kind at a Texas Medical Center institution. Among the stolen information were names and Social Security numbers.

But this wasn’t an isolated incident. Computer theft and data breaches have been on the upswing in recent months. In fact, in June 2012 more than 2,100 Boston Children’s Hospital patients’ personal information was at risk after an employee lost his laptop that contained unencrypted data. And in South Carolina, personal medical records of 228,000 Medicaid recipients were sent to a personal, unencrypted email account.

Medical practices and healthcare organizations can implement some safeguards to avoid these unfortunate accidents. While remote access is convenient, if not done correctly can be dangerous and puts your practice’s medical data in jeopardy. Using secure VPN's is the best way to make sure your files are safe. Have your firewall evaluated by an IT professional to guarantee it’s secure. Additionally, make sure your data is always encrypted and your wireless system has been evaluated by an IT professional to ensure compliance and overall security.

ProvenBackup can help to protect your medical practice from any potential disaster and unnecessary downtime. ProvenBackup is an easy to install backup system. It is as simple as “set it and forget it”. Additionally, we provide a HIPAA/HITECH Security Risk Assessments. Click here to learn more.