Tag Archives: Healthcare IT

Business Continuity Planning

Keeping your business afloat after a disaster As the owner of a technology consulting firm, I’m occasionally asked to assist with Business Continuity Planning (BCP). As the name implies, BCP is a discipline that attempts to answer the “what if” questions that surround the viability of a business when faced with a disruptive event such […]

Oracle closes critical Java vulnerability

Oracle announced today the release of updates for Java versions 5, 6, and 7 to patch a critical java vulnerability actively being exploiting in the wild. The patches were reportedly slated for release in April but the timetable was pushed up in response to a recent report demonstrating the active exploit. This further prolongs the […]

Adobe has scheduled an update for last week’s Acrobat zero-day

Adobe announced in a blog post that they will issue updates for version XI, X, and 9 to close the zero-day hole revealed last week. The patch will be released for Windows, Linux, and Macintosh operating systems. All users are advised to install the patch as soon as it becomes available. Thom Infotech encourages Adobe […]

Adobe issues two Flash zero-day patches

Today, a Security Bulletin (APSB13-04) has been posted to address security issues in Adobe Flash Player 11.5.502.146 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh, Adobe Flash Player 11.2.202.261 and earlier versions for Linux, Adobe Flash Player 11.1.115.36 and earlier versions for Android 4.x, and Adobe Flash Player 11.1.111.31 and earlier versions for Android 3.x and […]

Oracle releases emergency patches for Java

Oracle has released a sizable number of patches for Java to address 50 vulnerabilities affecting both the browser versions as well as the server. The “Critical Patch Update February 2013” (CPU) for Java had been scheduled for February 19th, but due to one of the vulnerabilities being exploited in the wild, the company brought the […]

HHS announces first HIPAA breach settlement involving less than 500 patients

Hospice of North Idaho settles HIPAA security case for $50,000 The Hospice of North Idaho (HONI) has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) $50,000 to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule.

UPnP to be the next mega-exploit?

The Department of Homeland Security urged computer users on Tuesday to disable a common networking technology feature, after researchers warned that hackers could exploit flaws to gain access to tens of millions of vulnerable devices. The U.S. government’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team, on its website, advised consumers and businesses to disable a feature known as […]

“Terrific Employee” loses job over USB Memory Stick breach

The woman faulted for the latest breach of Utah Medicaid data, an account manager for Goold Data Systems, is no longer employed at Goold. “She was a terrific employee who made a mistake, a pharmacist who oversees the entire Utah account,” said Jim Clair, CEO of the Maine-based company, which manages pharmacy claims for several […]

MA medical billing practice faces Hipaa penalties

Former owners of a Marblehead-based medical billing practice and four pathology groups have agreed to collectively pay $140,000, settling allegations that sensitive medical records and confidential billing information for tens of thousands of Massachusetts patients were improperly disposed of at a public dump, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced today. The complaint, filed in Suffolk Superior […]