One of the challenges many healthcare organizations face is sharing health information among practitioners, medical facilities and insurance companies for the benefit of the patient, without violating his right to privacy. The “old school” way, in which each doctor or facility had its own records and records were not shared, was proven to be inefficient and detrimental to fast and effective treatment. A new technological breakthrough was needed to improve efficiency and quality of care.

Cloud computing is the perfect way to enhance productivity: healthcare professionals can access health information on any device in any location. Time isn’t wasted waiting for paper records to be transferred and physicians can see an entire medical history with one glance. Smaller healthcare organizations can benefit from the cloud by outsourcing medical processes they don’t perform on-site. Bureaucratic tasks such as patient enrollment, claims processing and patient management can become more cost-effective.

The cloud also allows for effective treatment outside of a medical facility, such as at the site of an accident.

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However, healthcare is a regulated industry, in which the patient’s right to privacy is paramount. Cloud computing is an excellent solution but it needs to be paired with cloud security measures which secure data, authenticate identities, and ensure trust and compliance throughout the cloud environment.

HIPAA and Cloud Computing

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulates the measures which must be taken to protect private healthcare information (PHI) in the United States. The European Union and other countries have their own strict regulations as well. HIPAA and cloud computing are successfully combined when these challenges are met:

Identity and access management appropriate for the cloud. Identity management which is based on unique usernames and passwords may prove to be the weak link in security when transferred to the cloud. A centralized control of access and identities should be adopted instead.
Data protection. Data which resides in the cloud should be encrypted. This is the accepted best practice and also provides the added benefit of reducing exposure to fines and reporting requirements if something does go wrong. It is crucial that data is protected both at rest and when in transit.
Incident response. Healthcare companies must be able to rely on their cloud provider to respond to attack with immediate containment and notification. Thereafter, they should provide incident analysis, remediation and service continuity.
Secured architecture. Protecting a healthcare database from malware and other vicious attacks requires management of identities and APIs at the network level.
Device management solutions. The increased use of mobile devices (cell phones and tablets) in medical care necessitates solutions which ensure that data will not be stolen or lost through the use of unsecured devices.

Cloud Data Security Is Best Accomplished with Encryption

The most effective cloud data security is achieved through encryption. Encrypting data both when it is at rest and when it is in use ensures that it is unreadable if it falls into the wrong hands. But encryption, in and of itself, is not enough. An extra layer of protection is recommended when dealing with highly sensitive healthcare information.

Split-key encryption provides even greater protection for e-PHI. The entire network is protected by two encryption keys. One is in the hands of the cloud provider and the other is owned by the healthcare organization. In order for data to be accessed, both keys must be used. If a criminal attempts to get control over the data with one key, he will fail.

According to HIPAA regulations, if a healthcare organization has made every attempt to protect its data, its liability will be reduced in the unlikely event there is a security breach. This clause is called “Safe Harbor” and it allows organizations which rely on cloud computing to stop worrying about data security and fully enjoy the benefits of the cloud.