How a VPN Can Help with HIPAA Compliance

HIPAA compliance affects healthcare organizations, insurance agents, and more.

In this podcast, we’ve outlined the easiest way to secure your data so that you can meet HIPAA compliance obligations easily and cost-effectively.

Perimeter 81 Total HIPAA Cloud VPN Podcast

What Is a HIPAA Compliance?

HIPAA compliance refers to adhering to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its subsequent regulations.

This legislation aims to protect sensitive patient health information (PHI) by setting standards for:

Privacy and Confidentiality

• PHI Protection: HIPAA outlines strict rules for how PHI can be used, disclosed, and protected. This includes information like names, addresses, social security numbers, medical records, and insurance details.
• Authorized Uses: PHI can only be used for specific purposes related to healthcare, like treatment, billing, and research.
• Disclosure Limitations: Sharing PHI with unauthorized individuals or entities is strictly prohibited.

Security

• Administrative Safeguards: HIPAA requires organizations to have policies and procedures in place to protect PHI, including employee training, risk assessments, and incident response plans.
• Physical Safeguards: Physical security measures are required to protect PHI from unauthorized access, such as locked storage areas, access control systems, and surveillance.
• Technical Safeguards: Technical safeguards include measures like encryption, access controls, and audit trails to prevent unauthorized access to electronic PHI.

Data Breach Notification

• Breach Reporting: In the event of a data breach, covered entities are required to notify individuals whose PHI has been compromised.
• Federal and State Reporting: Depending on the severity of the breach, organizations may also be required to report the incident to federal and state authorities.

Introducing the Cloud VPN

With a Virtual Private Network (VPN), organizations can easily protect data transmission, secure data with strong encryption and meet other compliance requirements to secure electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI).

How It Works

When you connect to a VPN, you create an encrypted tunnel that protects your data from hackers and third parties. This allows you to set up a completely private and secure connection to another network, enabling remote employees to securely access the network while they’re outside of the office.

Our service actually takes this one step further with Wi-Fi Security – a patent-pending feature that automatically activates military-grade encryption the moment an employee connects to an unsecured Wi-Fi network. This keeps all data being transferred over the network hidden from hackers.

Plus, our DNS Filtering Solution prevents the employees from accessing spammy websites that could endanger the company’s network security.

How Does a VPN Supplement HIPAA Compliance?

Majority of ePHI breaches result from compromised mobile devices or networks that contain unencrypted data which can result in:

• Loss of trust
• Substantial fines
• Criminal charges
• Civil action lawsuits

To secure confidential data, organizations can implement a HIPAA compliant VPN to encrypt all transmitted data over the network. Cloud VPNs integrate seamlessly with major cloud providers and can ensure that sensitive data located in cloud environments are fully protected and secured.

The Benefits of Using a Cloud VPN

Here are the benefits of using our cloud VPN.

• Lockdown Confidential Data and Databases to a Specific IP Address: When you deploy a private server, you restrict access to certain resources using a specific IP address. This allows you to designate certain team members to have access to only that server or IP address, limiting data access and segmenting the network.
• Nonstop Security with VPN Kill Switch: A VPN kill switch ensures that if the VPN disconnects for any reason, the Internet connection is stopped and no data is transferred.
• Full Visibility with a Unified Management Platform: With our VPN service, you can easily invite team members, deploy private servers and view all network activity in one unified place.
• Two-Factor Authentication and Identity Provider Integration: Two-factor authorization is key to security, preventing hackers from accessing your account even if they obtain your login credentials.

Achieve HIPAA Compliance with a Full-Service Security Solution

At Check Point, we’re highly aware of data storage and logging privacy because it’s critically important in both the business and consumer spaces.

Cloud-based VPN technology offers scalability and compatibility with cloud storage environments. We are GDPR compliant, SOC-2 compliant and ISO 27 001 compliant so that we can offer a highly effective solution for any organizations’ HIPAA compliance needs.

FAQs

What are the benefits of a fiber optic backbone network?

Fiber optic networks offer several advantages over traditional copper-based networks. Fiber optic cables can handle significantly higher data transfer rates, offering minimal delays and faster response times. They are not affected by electromagnetic interference, ensuring reliable data transmission.

What are the main components of a distributed backbone network?

Distributed backbone networks consist of three layers: the core layer, distribution layer, and access layer, each with its respective roles.

What is the role of central connectivity devices in a backbone network?

Central connectivity devices manage data flow within a backbone network, implementing security measures and preventing unauthorized access.

How do network segments contribute to network availability?

Network segments improve performance, enhance security, and increase resilience by isolating parts of a network.

What are the benefits of using a cloud VPN for healthcare organizations?

A cloud VPN offers flexibility, scalability, and cost-effective solutions for healthcare providers.