Data Encryption is a must for any healthcare organization! Data encryption ensures that your data is safe and protected. This blog post will cover what encryption means, the common practices followed for encrypting data, and why it's important to encrypt the data in your hospital management software. Understanding these policies will help you keep your data safe inside your HMS.
What is meant by encryption of data?
Data encryption is the process of encoding data so that unauthorized users cannot read it. The goal is to ensure confidentiality by preventing all but authorized recipients from reading encrypted information.
What are the common types of encryption?
The common two types of encryption are symmetric and asymmetric encryption.
Symmetric key encryption uses a single key for both encryption and decryption. Whereas, an asymmetric key uses a pair of different but related keys called the public key and private key.
Messages encrypted with one cannot be decrypted using the other, even if you have access to them both. One key is used for encrypting the data that only authorized recipients of a message can read, and the other to decrypt it securely, but at the same time, it does not allow to read or create encrypted messages in transit.
What are the data encryption policies to follow?
The data encryption policies to follow are:
- All communications should be encrypted in both directions
This will ensure that the connection is not susceptible to being intercepted by unauthorized third parties while transmitting sensitive information between your HMS and any other server or device on a network.
- All communications, traffic, and transactions will have to adhere to local laws and regulations
Adhere to local laws and regulations for information security requirements, such as HIPAA regulations that specifically apply where you are located geographically.
Your hospital management software vendor can help you keep data secure inside with HIPAA compliant hosting and provide an audit log to show what changes were made, who had access for how long, or when they accessed it.
- Provide an encrypted certificate for remote access
HMS vendors can provide 128-bit encrypted digital certificates to authorized users which should be the only means to access the HMS from outside the hospital or clinic network.
- Encrypt data on the file system
For your security and privacy, we highly recommend that you implement a secure password management solution. This will enforce multi-factor authentication for all users with access to sensitive information in HMS or other systems connected through VPN (Virtual Private Network).
- Encrypt data in use
This helps to keep the data readable only to authorized users while it is being used.
- Encrypt data on the fly
This will help to protect sensitive information during transmission over open networks.
- Encrypt data at rest
This helps to secure your sensitive information when not actively being used by an authorized user on a device or network.
- Periodically changing the codes
The encryption codes should be changed periodically and as needed. This will make it harder to decrypt and access your sensitive data.
These are just a few of the many policies that hospitals or clinics can follow to keep the patient and hospital data they work with encrypted and safe from unauthorized access.
Insta by Practo values our customers and understands how important the safety of their patient data and hospital data are.
Learn more about the data encryption standards and policies we follow to keep your data safe and protected.
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