Tag Archives: Healthcare IT

Should you be worried about the latest Yahoo security breach?

Yahoo email has experienced yet another security breach by hackers. Should you be worried about this? Even if you do not currently have a Yahoo email address, it is my opinion that you still need to be concerned. Email account hacking has been a recurring theme for Yahoo in recent years and the timing couldn’t be worse. Yahoo has […]

It May Be Time to Outsource Your Computer Support

Is it Time to Outsource Your Computer Support? Many businesses are beginning to reach that conclusion. “prevention is better than cure” -Erasmus Setting up a small business computer network used to be a relatively simple affair. A small business owner merely needed a few computers, an internet connection with a cable or DSL modem, some […]

Beware of recycling old computers

I recently had a chat with a colleague who recounted his recent experience with a computer he recovered from a local electronics recycling center. His story was a bit shocking and I thought it really deserved a write-up. Electronics waste is a huge burden to local governments around the world. The pace of advancement in […]

179 Reasons to Upgrade Before January 2014

As of this writing there are roughly four useble business weeks left in the current year.  As 2013 winds down, businesses should consider performing needed upgrades sooner rather than later. At the risk of creating a lengthy blog post I’m planning to provide 179 reasons to upgrade before January 2014. First, we should discuss the […]

Advocate Healthcare HIPAA Breach Results in Class Action Lawsuit

Reports of HIPAA breach incidents are nothing new. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) stipulates that healthcare providers, insurance companies, and those who serve them (also known as “Business Associates”) take extensive measures to protect the Protected Health Information (PHI) of their patients. Even the dearly departed are protected from such disclosures. For this […]

August 2013 Microsoft Patch Tuesday is Here

It’s the second Tuesday of the month, so that means it’s Patch Tuesday. Microsoft will begin rolling out patches as the day progresses. This means your computer will likely reboot overnight. Here’s a rundown of the patches you can expect. Three updates classified as “Critical”: Internet Explorer – all versions from 6 to 10 Microsoft […]

Most HIPAA Breaches are Caused by Employees

It has been said that the most difficult interface to secure is the one between the chair and the keyboard. This bit of “nerd humor” actually has its basis in fact. Art Gross has written a very informative post titled “Your employees will cause your next HIPAA breach” concerning the most common cause of HIPAA […]

Six people fired from Cedars-Sinai over patient privacy breach

According to the LA Times, five workers and a student research assistant were fired in the wake of a patient privacy breach affecting the patient medical records of 14 patients. According to a statement released by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the 14 patient records were “inappropriately accessed” between June 18 and June 24. Four of those […]

WellPoint Fined $1.7M For ePHI Disclosure

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week that the managed care company WellPoint, Inc. had agreed to pay a fine of $1.7 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy and security rules. Like nearly all HHS fines, this case sends […]

Idaho State University fined $400,000 for skipping HIPAA Security Risk Analysis

Skipped HIPAA Security Risk Analysis costs ISU $400,000 IT consultants and Managed IT service providers have been warning their clients that the HIPAA Security Risk Analysis is a very necessary component in their efforts to comply with the HIPAA rule. Some of our medical clients and prospects agree, while others are skeptical about the need […]