Feb 10, 2014

Information in the healthcare industry is essential to ensuring that patients are treated appropriately and staff members can perform effectively. With technology advancing rapidly, employees have more direct routes to share files and provide constant access to necessary resources. However, with personal devices being used for many of these file viewing processes, it can create BYOD security issues. Organizations must assess the emerging risks and need to guarantee that their systems are prepared for these upcoming trends:

1. Increasing data breaches
With vulnerabilities in medical networks, healthcare professionals are expected to see a growing amount of data breaches. According to an Experian report, the healthcare industry will be the most susceptible to data breaches due to the sheer size of the sector and the lack of preparation in smaller firms like individual doctor’s offices, InformationWeek reported. With inadequate password practices, employees leave their systems open to a variety of threats that can cause substantial damage to the organization. One way to mitigate these risks is to use HIPAA compliant file sharing. With this program, medical professionals will be able to share important resources while preserving the data on a secure platform.

2. Less worry about BYOD, more about safety
BYOD itself has become an asset to many healthcare institutions, but there are still concerns over data governance. Since the trend’s inception, BYOD security issues have existed, but now it is becoming more about controlling the data that touches the device rather than the hardware itself, according to HealthITSecurity. As technology advances, organizations will need to ensure that they are implementing the best protection to prevent data losses and compromises. Incorporating upgrades and built-in security measures will help preserve information and deter threats.

3. Adoption of innovative technologies
Medical institutions have only recently started implementing the cloud, but it continues to raise concerns over the safety of critical patient data. However, with a HIPAA compliant file sharing solution, employees will be able to effectively use cloud-based features and improve overall processes. The service will enable staff to quickly access information and treat patients efficiently, increasing the organization’s accuracy and productivity. By choosing the best solution for the business’s needs, medical institutions can keep data secure.

Although there are many concerns over healthcare IT security, business-grade enterprise file sharing solutions such as Memeo C1 provide better oversight into the location of important data and also allow managers to remotely wipe information from devices. These features will give data governance back to IT personnel and ensure that leaks are effectively mitigated.