How Cybersecurity and Compliance Work Together to Protect Your Patients and Your Practice

a medical provider's desk

It seems with each passing year, the value of proper cybersecurity is becoming more and more apparent. From manufacturing and construction to even food services, the amount of data that passes through a company’s network demands that it has a robust cybersecurity system in place. 

This is especially true for healthcare practices, where patient data must be kept private and secure at all times. Unfortunately, cybersecurity can get placed on the backburner in many medical practices, endangering patients and leaving their private medical history vulnerable to hackers. 

When implemented correctly, compliance and cybersecurity work together to protect patients, and managed service providers can help your healthcare practice employ all tools available to give patients the best, most cyber secure care possible.

The Role of Cybersecurity in Protecting Patients

As a medical practice, your patients are your greatest priority, and the way you treat their private data is an extension of your healthcare services. While providers and nurses strive to protect their physical and emotional health, it’s still the clinic’s responsibility to ensure the security of their personal information. Without proper safeguards, hackers can access patient records and use that information for nefarious purposes: identity theft and financial exploitation. 

Medical cybersecurity keeps systems secure from outside threats by implementing various measures such as antivirus software, firewalls, and encryption. Together, both simple and advanced cybersecurity measures ensure that no unauthorized agents are able to penetrate your system and steal private information about patients or the business.

How Compliance Protects Your Patients

Cybersecurity and compliance go hand in hand. Believe it or not, they have the same goal: protection. Compliance is an umbrella term used to describe any measures taken by an organization to adhere to legal regulations or standards put forth by governing bodies. 

For example, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) requires healthcare organizations to take certain steps to protect patient privacy, such as implementing appropriate safeguards for electronic health information. 

Additionally, HITECH Act compliance requires healthcare providers to develop robust security systems that meet the standards set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services, allowing patients to access personal healthcare data in a secure and affordable way. 

Compliance is vital to protecting patients because it helps ensure that healthcare organizations take all necessary steps to protect their data from unauthorized access or use. Compliance protects patient data while holding providers accountable for their cyber practices. 

Elevate Care With Better Cybersecurity and Compliance

Every exceptional medical practice is always on the lookout for ways to elevate patient care and ensure that their patients are safe and well informed. That’s where better cybersecurity and compliance come in. 

By proactively implementing robust cybersecurity measures, healthcare providers can protect against data breaches and other malicious attacks. And by adhering to all applicable legal standards, they can further protect patient information while also ensuring that they remain compliant with the law.

Partner with the Medical IT Support Experts at Fresh Managed IT 

By taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity and compliance, healthcare providers can ensure that their patients are well protected long term. With the help of Fresh Managed IT, organizations can create robust security systems that meet all of their needs and legal requirements. This level of IT support elevates care for all involved, providing peace of mind for healthcare providers and patients alike. 

Don’t hesitate when it comes to protecting your patients. Set up a meeting with Fresh Managed IT today to see how we can help your practice move to the next level.