Running any business takes a lot of time, effort, and attention. While a lot of business aspects have to be maintained, a key aspect is compliance. Regulatory edicts like HIPAA are present to make sure businesses operate with the well-being of consumers in mind. What are the things you have to remember so that your business won’t be hounded for HIPAA violations, or other felonies you may commit, even unintentionally?
HIPAA Compliance: No Exceptions
The cliche stands: no one is above the law. Even bigger businesses are not exempt from the scrutinizing eyes of mandates like HIPAA. Despite large companies having to do a lot more when it comes to compliance, that does not mean small businesses can be more lax. Instead of asking if your business should be compliant, ask how you should be compliant, to avoid any HIPAA violations.
HIPAA Compliance: Spare No Document
The best way to stay compliant to regulations like HIPAA and consumer laws is through proper documentation. Making sure you pay close attention to the rules regarding HIPAA documentation – one example is how healthcare and medicine businesses handle client records. Aside from the usual private data like names and contact details, these businesses need to be extra careful when handling: patient sicknesses, medical history, medicine and prescriptions taken. One way to make sure this information is handled properly is through signed documents that let bearers of said info to release it as needed. For example, when communication with a pharmacy, the pharmacy only needs to know what medicine is being ordered; the sickness for which this medicine will be used should not be disclosed. Proper creation and handling of documents will lead to the protection of patients and their confidential information.
HIPAA Compliance: Document Control
Document control may include data storage methods, access regulation, and backup. These considerations in handling and maintaining documents may be different for every business, and may also mean that regulation methods in accordance to rules like HIPAA would differ. There is software available that is tested specifically for HIPAA compliance regulations and guarantees your business and client information is protected and well-documented. You should also consider partnering with a Managed IT Service Provider who can provide additional assistance in document management through cloud services like data storage and data backup.
HIPAA Compliance: Working Online
Speaking of cloud computing, being informed about specific considerations when working with business and client documentation online is very important as well. A Managed IT Provider can catalyze your business through cloud technology. Cloud Computing can be a catalyst for business model innovation because it has the power to fundamentally shift competitive landscapes by providing a new platform for creating and delivering business value.
Transferring business documents to an online platform may sound like a risky step to some, with the onslaught of hackers and malware that steal or leak business info. With the example of medicine and healthcare businesses, this is troublesome. Sensitive information about patients’ health records, or insurance details, may be up for wrongful use. It may sound like online service utilization exposes you to HIPAA violations or other mishandlings of law, but this is not the case. By tweaking your online data storage settings so that access is kept within trusted parties, business regulations and edicts like HIPAA are upheld. Educate yourself further on how regulations like HIPAA are followed in business’ online processes.
HIPAA Compliance: Conclusion
HIPAA is constantly changing and updating its regulations. There are still tons of companies that are currently operating without even knowing they need to be HIPAA compliant. You may already be required and could face paying some hefty fines.
Contact us about any questions you have regarding HIPAA compliance. It’s hard to stay on top of all the constant updates so don’t do it alone – let Aperio IT be your trusted resource to ensure your business is always HIPAA compliant.
While small & mid-sized businesses are opting to use MSPs (managed service provider) for various operational aspects, using one specifically for security has presented itself as a viable choice. Threats to cybersecurity are both increasing in number and complexity and having an MSP for security purposes proves to be very helpful. Consider the following signs to help your organization decide if you need a Managed Service Provider to strengthen cybersecurity.
Managed Service Provider for Security: “Pesky” Security Alerts
If you’re guilty of ignoring security alerts because they seem repetitive, hard to understand, or unactionable on your end, you’re not alone. A study reveals that among respondents, 31% claim to letting alerts pass by because they appear to be false positives, while 40% think that the alerts can’t be acted on, or have a definite solution. These alerts would make better sense to security MSPs. Explanations for unfamiliar sets of actions and why alerts seem redundant are what a security-based managed service provider can offer. What’s good about these MSPs is that they will unearth even the smallest of threats. After all, an organization on average executes 2.7 billion security tool-related actions per month, according to the same study. Less than one million of these actions attend to real security threats, not a menial number at all, considering the gravity of threats these days.
Managed Service Provider for Security: Repetitive Mistakes
Security-based managed service providers will not only help defend you from threats. MSPs specializing in security will also explain what these threats are, what they could do, and what everyone else can do in response. The thing with some companies is that they intercept these threats over and over because they do not realize their repeated mistakes. Managed service providers will assist you in applying new knowledge from past errors to generate better security decisions.
Managed Service Provider for Security: Too Many Solutions
The more, the merrier? Not necessarily. Having many security solutions do not make your system automatically safe and stable. Some enterprises have up to 20 differing solutions and chances are they don’t work together. Through a security MSP, you can rally these solutions and find ways to let them work harmoniously, so that you avoid generating system overloads, too much data traffic, or even more security threats in the form of disparate processes. Allow security professionals, like managed service providers, to perform better security management for you.
Managed Service Provider for Security: Staying Informed
Another service of MSPs is to give you precise reporting of how threats were handled. It is the job of managed service providers to keep you in the know of how security tools were used to counteract cybersecurity concerns. Coasting along without knowledge of a newly-resolved threat won’t do for MSPs. Managed service providers giving you cybersecurity assistance will alert you on the dot when a threat is happening, and how it is being intercepted.
Managed Service Provider for Security: Your Boss Says So
Especially in the age of advanced technology, many CEOs and other company leaders are investing in staying protected against the dangers of the cyber-world. But that’s not enough. It is imperative that CEOs are involved in security means and ways of the company. MSPs rendered for cybersecurity services can assist your company leaders in going through the security structure of the entire enterprise. No need to have substantial knowledge in cybersecurity; managed service providers will make sure that your CEO will have a good glimpse of how things are working.
Managed Service Provider for Security: Conclusion
More than ever, cybersecurity should be a top IT priority for any organization. In the past years, malicious cybersecurity forces were to blame for wiping out at least $52.4 billion off stock shares value, an average fall of 1.8%. With these threats in mind, security MSPs should be considered as good options to battle the rising threats to IT security. These MSPs are not only equipped with the right tools, but also with expertise in the matter. With managed security providers to handle your cybersecurity, you and your company may shift your focus to other enterprise objectives, and hand the baton to MSPs in handling software updates and security monitoring. Consider security MSPs in assuring safety and future-proofing your organization.
Contact us to learn more about strengthening your cybersecurity with Aperio IT.
Having a dedicated staff to analyze and maintain IT investments is becoming increasingly necessary among businesses of all sizes. Unfortunately, the cost of having dedicated IT staff on the payroll can be extremely prohibitive for small and medium-sized businesses. Often the tasks of trying to maintain, troubleshoot and correct IT or computer system problems falls to the owner or an employee with only rudimentary computer skills. This leads to distractions and major time drains that take them away from their core business responsibilities.
Fortunately, managed IT service providers are now available to help these same businesses in an affordable fashion. Finding a managed IT provider is a big task. With the wrong one, you will end up right back where you started. However with the right managed IT provider, productivity and workflow can flourish.
For the best possible results, ask these questions when choosing a managed IT provider:
Are you familiar with my industry? This is a simple question that often gets overlooked in the name of convenience. Remember that a managed IT provider will make your life simpler, but the process of finding the right one takes careful planning. Be sure this potential provider is familiar with your workflow style.
How will my information, as well as my customers’ information, remain safe? A managed IT provider will specialize in ensuring the security of information – your own confidential information as well as that of your clients. Be as inquisitive as possible when it comes to details like these.
What do you bring to the table? Beyond the abilities of a managed IT provider are their connections. What are they authorized to distribute and use? Furthermore, establish whether their toolbox is sufficient for the specific needs of your company.
Where will you start? Oftentimes, a managed IT provider must correctly assess your company’s current situation before moving onto optimization. For example, how will a managed IT provider incorporate your current physical systems?
How big is my up-front investment? You’re running a business, which means that you must always consider the bottom line. The right managed IT provider will be sure to construct a plan that works for your needs and minimizes your in-house expenses.
Managed IT service providers have a range of IT services available to help clients optimize their computer systems. Many offer free, no-obligation assessments to help understand the current state of your computer systems and business requirements. They’ll then work with you develop a plan that minimizes threats, safeguards your system, avoids costly downtime and maximizes the productivity from your systems.
ITT Technical Institutes Closed As of September 6, 2016
ITT Educational Services, Inc., announced that it will be discontinuing academic operations at all of its ITT Technical Institutes permanently. They state that they have eliminated the positions of more than 8,000 employees, and refer to “tens of thousands of unexpectedly displaced students [who will need help] with their records and future educational options.”
Specifically in the Sacramento area, this means that the ITT Technical Institute in Rancho Cordova has been shuttered, “…leaving more than 400 students without an immediate option to finish their education.” (Allen Young, Sacramento Business Journal.) The Sacramento area has experienced additional school closures in the recent past, including Heald College in Roseville and Rancho Cordova and three University of Phoenix campuses.
Did ITT Fail to Deliver on Its Educational Promise to Students?
In its press release, ITT claimed that “…federal actions will result in the closure of ITT Technical Institutes without any opportunity to pursue our right to due process.” The press release states that ITT “…exhausted the exploration of alternatives, including transfer of the schools to a non-profit or public institution.” ITT also states that they were not provided with a hearing or an appeal.
However, other sources describe a different situation. Gizmodo’s Technology Editor, Michael Nunez, stated in his article on ITT’s closure that “ITT Tech and other for-profit colleges have been widely criticized for accepting billions of dollars in government loans while failing to provide adequate job training for its students.”
Sanctions Before Closure Spelled the End
Only days before the closure, ITT had been barred from accepting new students who were using federal loans to finance their educations. These sanctions were driven by concerns about ITT’s business and recruiting practices: “ITT Tech… had been facing accusations from its accreditor of chronic financial mismanagement and questionable recruiting tactics. It is also under investigation by more than a dozen state and federal authorities, including the Massachusetts attorney general, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Securities and Exchange Commission.” (Melissa Korn, Wall Street Journal)
The Future for ITT Students, Including 35,000 Veterans
The future for now-former ITT students is unclear. Although ITT has been legally required to maintain cash reserves to help support students in case of company closure, Gizmodo reports that the company “is not saying how it will use its reserves,” with ITT maintaining that their press release will be their only comment.
Where Can Students Get More Information?
The Department of Education issued a letter from the Secretary of Education to ITT students on September 6, 2016, providing guidance and links to their ITT announcements page. Initially, students face two basic options: discharge of student loans (under some circumstances); or attempting to transfer credits to other institutions.
However, Leada Gore notes on the Alabama website that students may face unexpected difficulties. For example, if a student is in default of student loans at the time of the closure, they may be ineligible for discharge of their loan.
Even more worryingly, “Veterans attending ITT will be covered under the same provisions related to loan discharge. However, veterans cannot be credited for the months of eligibility under G.I. Bill already used while at ITT. As many as 35,000 veterans attend ITT, according to Student Veterans of America.”
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Figuring out the details of whether your business is in compliance with HIPAA is an ongoing challenge. At our last HIPAA related Lunch & Learn event, several of our attendees were looking for information on how HIPAA will be conducting its latest phase of audits – how businesses will be selected to be audited (particularly business associates), when the different types of audits will be conducted, and more. Here are some of the latest answers from the Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights
HIPAA Compliance – FAQs and the Audit Protocol
The OCR’s website offers some helpful definitions and answers to frequently asked questions concerning the audit process. A few important highlights include:
As far as BAs go, the OCR will be asking CEs who are being audited “to identify their business associates.” They encourage CEs “to prepare a list of each business associate with contact information so that they are able to respond to this request.”
You can also take a look at the actual audit protocol along with some definitions of terms at the OCR’s website. This lengthy table breaks down the audit protocol according to Audit Type, Section, Key Activity, Established Performance Criteria, and the Audit Inquiry.
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