Making better Patient Data Security with Information-Centric Technology

Using data-centric technologies can be highly beneficial for healthcare agencies as they work to create powerful patient data security.

Healthcare agencies of all sizes are understandably concerned with patient data security, particularly as technology sustains to evolve and hackers grow more sophisticated.

Healthcare data encryption is one key way that covered entities can make sure that their most sensitive data is secured, but not all kinds of encryption are created equally.

Albert Biketi, VP and GM of HPE Security - Data Security at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, spoke withHealthITSecurity.com about the benefits of data-centric technology, and why healthcare agencies must take a more proactive approach when it comes to information encryption.

What is a data-centric security approach?

The concept of data-centric security is about bringing protection as close as possible to the information itself, in accordance to Biketi. A common mistake that people have made for a long time is assuming that all encryption is the same, and all protections that they apply to data are equally effective as long as they have checked the box for encryption.

The true value of healthcare data

Another key thing for healthcare agencies to understand is that the data that they maintain is extremely valuable, and greatly sought after by cyber criminals. As covered entities execute new technologies, it can be covenient to overlook a seemingly small area of security that eventually leads to a huge data security issue.

“A lot of healthcare companies have traditionally depended on fax, and have relied on antiquated means of communication,” he stated. “Patient record sharing has become very inefficient over various decades. With technology comes a tremendous ease of use and tremendous ease of making mistakes.”