HIPAA Compliance: Storage in the Cloud


The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act sets standards for protecting confidential patient information (HIPAA). Organizations dealing with protected health information (PHI) must implement and follow physical, network, and procedural security measures in order to be HIPAA compliant. All affected businesses (medical, payment, and surgical providers) and business partners must comply with HIPAA. Subcontractors and all other relevant business partners are subject to the same requirements as most other businesses.

The Importance of HIPAA Compliance

HIPAA compliance is more important than ever as healthcare providers and other organizations dealing with PHI move to computerized processes such as Thanks to health insurance, care management and access to self-service software are on par. All of these technologies that promote efficiency and mobility dramatically exacerbate health data security risks.

This security rule allows affected facilities to use cutting-edge technology to improve the effectiveness and quality of patient care while protecting individual privacy. The security policy is flexible in nature, allowing covered organizations to adopt procedures, methods, and tools appropriate to their size, organizational structure, and security risks for e-Protected Health Information.

Protected Health Information

The demographic information that can be used to identify a patient or customer of a HIPAA-covered business is called "Protected Health Information" (PHI). Common PHI includes, but is not limited to, name, address, phone number, social security number, medical information, financial information, and photographs.

PHI transmitted, stored, or obtained electronically (ePHI) is subject to the same HIPAA regulations as other protected health information (PHI). Electronically protected medical information is subject to HIPAA security rules. This is an amendment to the HIPAA law enacted in response to advancements in health care technology (ePHI).

HIPAA Compliant Cloud Storage Provider

Google Cloud Drive and G Suite

In 2013, Google began signing its BAA for "G Suite," which includes Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, and Vault. Thanks to this ingenious move, Google Cloud Drive is now HIPAA compliant, which industry experts praise.

G Suite "includes all the controls necessary to make the service HIPAA compliant and, if accounts are properly configured and compliant, HIPAA-affected organizations can ) can be used to share PHI," according to industry-standard security practices," claims the HIPAA Journal.

Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft leads the industry in e-mail, file storage, calendar signing, HIPAA-HITECH support, and his BAA offering of enterprise cloud services. Microsoft offers some of the strongest security solutions on the market. “In providing services, including cloud services, to affected organizations, Microsoft enters into agreements with our business partners to ensure that PHI is adequately protected. It details how we comply with the security and privacy rules set forth in the Act and specifies and limits how our business partners may process PHI. Manage and save.

Amazon (AWS)

The BAA can be signed with Amazon S3 and provides simple instructions for setting up HIPAA-compliant cloud storage using Amazon Web Services (AWS). It serves as his CSP for some of the biggest brands in healthcare and life sciences. FedRAMP and NIST 800-53 are enhanced security requirements translated into HIPAA security rules and are used to align your HIPAA risk management program with the HIPAA rules applicable to your operating model, according to the AWS Compliance Page.

Atlantic Net

Atlantic.Net Hosting is fully audited and HITECH and HIPAA compliant. The company is widely recognized for its wide range of managed security services and superior cloud platform. They are designed to help businesses meet all their cloud storage, HIPAA-compliant hosting, and cybersecurity needs. A dynamic and highly elastic storage design enables scalability to meet ever-growing needs. I also accept the Business Associate Agreement and handle all service management myself.

Dropbox Business

Dropbox Business can be configured to offer HIPAA-compliant cloud storage and offers its BAA to affected businesses. The service offers a variety of administrative controls, including user access reviews and user behavior reports. In addition, it can inspect and disconnect connected devices, as well as two-factor authentication, for added security.

Conclusion

The organization should be aware that neither the government nor the cloud service provider industry has formally confirmed HIPAA compliance, and there is no official HITECH or HIPAA certification of him. Ensuring regulatory compliance is, therefore, the responsibility of the organizations and cloud service providers involved. A cloud service must be evaluated for HIPAA regulations and may change its products, practices, and policies to help the affected organization achieve HIPAA compliance.

Updated on: 05-Jan-2023

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