Help Me With HIPAA

OCR just announced its first ransomware settlement, emphasizing the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures and the implications for business associates. Ransomware threats are increasingly common, evolving rapidly and continue to target the healthcare industry which highlights the importance of healthcare organizations and their business associates to prioritize cybersecurity. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/432

In our rapidly evolving digital environment, cybersecurity misconfigurations pose significant threats to organizations of all sizes. Misconfigurations can expose systemic weaknesses and make organizations vulnerable to cyber attacks. In this episode, we will review a report from the NSA and CISA highlighting some of the most common misconfigurations that need to be addressed. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/431

When vendors have incidents that disrupt their operations, it's like having ghosts haunt a business's continuity plan, just waiting to make an eerie appearance. That's why it is crucial for businesses to include vendor-related security incidents or downtime in their business continuity plans. One company's nightmare can be contagious to its customers. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/430

In today's interconnected digital world, keeping up with cybersecurity alerts is like having a trusty, cyber-savvy sidekick by your side. As our reliance on technology continues to grow, staying ahead of the game is essential. Cybersecurity alerts are like the Bat-Signal of the digital realm, lighting up to warn you of impending threats. Proactive vigilance in the face of these alerts is not merely a best practice; it's an imperative in safeguarding sensitive data, privacy, and the integrity of our increasingly digital lives. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/429

Web tracking tools that collect or share personally identifiable health information can pose significant implications when it comes to HIPAA privacy and security. Unauthorized tracking can compromise patient confidentiality and privacy, potentially exposing sensitive health data. Today, we are doing a follow up from our previous podcast on web tracking tools and discuss a few recent articles and guidance released by HHS, FTC and OCR. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/428

For MSPs, grasping HIPAA compliance isn't just a good idea; it's a necessity. Neglecting it can lead to legal issues and lost opportunities in the healthcare IT sector. Picture unintentionally mishandling patient data and facing legal consequences – that's a risk you can't ignore. A solid understanding of HIPAA can boost your reputation and credibility within the healthcare industry. To acquire this essential knowledge, consider enrolling in the Certified in HIPAA for MSP (CHMSP) course offered by HIPAA for MSPs. It's a valuable resource that equips MSPs with the expertise needed to excel in this specialized field. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/427

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is just around the corner. It's that time of year when we all take a moment to up our game in the digital world. Whether it's creating stronger passwords, being mindful of phishing emails, or updating our software regularly, it's a reminder that our online safety matters. So, listen to this week's podcast to find ways to keep cybersecurity top of mind and make sure our digital lives are as secure as possible! More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/426

Assuming large organizations with lots of healthcare clients have a proper HIPAA privacy and security program in place could be disastrous. OCR recently settled investigations with LA Care, a large health plan in California, for $1.3 million and a 3 year corrective action plan. Join us as we discuss this settlement and learn from others' mistakes. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/425

Securing older, legacy technologies from cyber threats is extremely important in today's interconnected digital world. Older devices often lack the robust security features of modern counterparts, making them vulnerable targets for hackers seeking to exploit weaknesses. Today, we review HSCC's Health Industry Cybersecurity – Managing Legacy Technology Security (HIC-MaLTS) guide that provides recommendations to address the legacy technology challenges facing healthcare. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/424

In the digital age, cybersecurity has become a critical concern for businesses and individuals alike. Today, we review the latest release from 405(d), Check Your Cyber Pulse. This cybersecurity cosmo quiz helps small organizations evaluate their cyber pulse regarding the 10 cybersecurity practices of HICP and decide where they should focus efforts to improve their cybersecurity behaviors. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/423

Ransomware attacks have become a prevailing threat to businesses of all sizes, causing significant financial losses, reputational damage, and operational disruptions. In this episode, we talk with Robert Cioffi, COO and Co-Founder of Progressive Computing, who shares how they navigated through the Kaseya ransomware attack. He shares invaluable insights into their journey of resilience, recovery, and the crucial lessons learned along the way. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/422

In a crisis situation, organizations must be prepared to communicate effectively in these challenging situations. Karen Phillips, of Phillips & Marek, joins us to discuss strategies and best practices for managing data breaches and how to communicate with stakeholders, including internal staff, patients and the media. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/421

Are you worried about the safety of your data and the potential security risks to your organization? In this episode, we talk with Jen Stone of SecurityMetrics to explore the importance of performing technical and nontechnical evaluations of your security program. Jen helps to explain the benefits of thorough evaluations and how they can safeguard your organization against potential vulnerabilities. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/420

As in years past, we dive into IBM's 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report. This annual study sheds light on the ever-evolving landscape of data breaches and provides valuable insights for organizations looking for ways to focus their efforts and money to help prevent and reduce the costs associated with a data breach. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/419

We all know how important it is to keep our personal information and important data secure. MFA can add an extra layer of protection to our digital lives. But does HIPAA require MFA? The short answer: no, but yes. Listen in to hear how best to lock your cyber door against cyber attacks. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/418

Verizon has released their 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). This year they focused more on an analysis of actual data breaches - the types of incidents causing the breaches, the motivations of bad actors, how they tend to carry out their attacks and what data they are grabbing. We always look forward to reading this report because it not only has a lot of great information, but also because it contains a good bit of humor. You know we like that. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/417

In the epic battle between cyber threats and the healthcare industry, it's the patients who suffer the most. There is an urgent need for new regulations in the healthcare industry to address the challenges posed by outdated technology and cybersecurity threats. Today, we talk with Josh Corman about the need for new ideas and meaningful changes to protect hospitals and ensure the safety of critical healthcare functions. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/416

BAs play a vital role in healthcare organizations as they often provide services to covered entities that require them to access PHI. But, they often don't fully understand their own HIPAA compliance obligations. OCR recently released a resolution agreement against a BA that proves BAs will be held accountable for their obligations under HIPAA. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/415

Checklists are important for many people who deal with cybersecurity. David and Donna explain that this new checklist is not just for healthcare, but for all businesses to deal with cybersecurity. They discuss these CPGs, which are Cybersecurity Performance Goals recently published by CISA, and how they can help strengthen your cybersecurity regardless of the size and complexity of your organization. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/414

Healthcare cybersecurity is no walk in the park! Today, we explore the release of the "Health Industry Cybersecurity Recommendations for Government Policy and Programs" by HSCC. It provides suggestions and ideas on how government policy and programs can support the health sector in beefing up their cybersecurity defenses to help keep our health systems safe from cyber threats. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/413

Vacation is a time to relax and get away from everyday worries, but it's important to take steps to ensure that your cybersecurity and privacy are not at risk. Today, we will review vacation and travel security tips from the National Cybersecurity Alliance to help you stay safe during your travels. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/412

When it comes to cybersecurity, It is important to understand who your audience is and how to communicate effectively with them. Today, we discuss an article on the cybersecurity pitfalls written by Julie Haney, Usable Cybersecurity Program Lead at NIST, and the importance of involving everyone in a team approach to protecting patients' information. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/411

Cybersecurity is a big challenge for all businesses these days. Regardless of the size of the business or industry it's in, hackers are continuously trying to exploit weaknesses to gain access to networks and data. NIST and CISA have some new resources and guides that can help small and medium size businesses face the growing cyber threat. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/410

You know how people say "it'll never happen to me"? Well, today we are covering six news stories that chances are will affect you either directly or indirectly in some way. We've got yet another story of a practice that doesn't have a response plan, stories about hardware and software that are vulnerable or were hacked and even a story on how you can make a quick $10m. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/409

In the fast-paced world of healthcare, where even your stethoscope can connect to the internet, cybersecurity training for everyone is an absolute must. But fear not, brave healthcare professional! There is free cybersecurity training online! Listen in and we will tell you all about two great cybersecurity training options for workforce members and clinicians. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/408

We talk a lot about understanding the current cyber threats and risks involved in not remaining vigilant in protecting against them. Today, we review the Hospital Cyber Resiliency Initiative Landscape Analysis, recently released by 405d. It provides stats and case studies from the real world. It also gives us areas we need to work on and where we need to put our investment of time and money to protect against these threats. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/407

Healthcare organizations are dealing with increasingly complex cybersecurity threats. With the use of technology and the presence of sensitive patient information, hackers see healthcare systems as valuable targets. Protecting healthcare systems is a major challenge. The 405(d) Task Group has updated their HICP guidance for small, medium and large organizations to help them better secure their networks and applications and manage risks to keep patient information safe. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/406

It's fitting that for episode 405 we talk with Erik Decker, lead on the HHS 405d Task Group, about the recently released Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices: Managing Threats and Protecting Patients (HICP) 2023 edition. Since David and I are also on the 405d task group, we are excited to talk about the new updates and added resources FREELY available to help everyone prepare and fight against cybersecurity threats. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/405

Gary Salman from Black Talon Security joins David as guest host while Donna celebrates her birthday in the Keys. David and Gary will explain why not being constantly vigilant when protecting network security can lead to a false sense of security. They will discuss the threats Black Talon is seeing in the cyber environment these days and via tabletop exercises they conduct with organizations as well as ways to help protect your organization from and prepare for cyber events and other crisis situations. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/404

Today, we cover part two of our review of the HIPAA Summit. We will cover notes from a privacy officer roundtable, security tips from IT's point of view, key points from crisis vendors and a very interesting discussion around mergers and acquisitions. Listen in to pick up where we left off from part 1 of our 2023 HIPAA Summit Review. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/403

As always the HIPAA Summit is very interesting and informative. This is the annual summit where we learn what's going on in the "HIPAAsphere" and what things are coming down the pike. There is a lot of information to cover, so we will break this into two Help Me With HIPAA episodes. Here's part 1 of our HIPAA Summit review. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/402

The importance of mobile device security cannot be overstated. With our lives becoming increasingly digital, it is essential that we take the necessary steps to secure our devices. By doing so, we can protect our data and our privacy, while also preventing malicious actors from gaining access to our accounts. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/401

We made it to 400 episodes! We have done, heard and learned a lot. Today, we will discuss 8 of the most important things we have learned so far. And we still have more to learn and to share, so stay tuned! More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/400

Today's episode we are going to do a quick recap from the PriSec Boot Camp and we will discuss the recent FTC case involving GoodRx. The PriSec Boot Camp was a lot of fun and Donna's Bourbon and Breaches was a hit with everyone! More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/399

Earlier this month, The White House released a new National Cybersecurity Strategy aimed at building a more resilient digital environment that is easier to defend than to attack and that is secure and safe for all Americans. The focus is to shift the burden of defending the country's cyberspace towards software vendors and service providers and to stress how essential collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as with international allies and partners, is for securing the nation against cyber threats. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/398

Let's face it, family dynamics can be complicated and not everyone gets along. HIPAA is designed to ensure that everyone's health information is kept confidential and that only the appropriate individuals are given access. Believe it or not, HIPAA does not guarantee all relatives access to another relative's protected health information. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/397

Today you're going to get a twofer. We're going to discuss the two recent reports that OCR submitted to Congress on the state of compliance with Privacy and Security and the other on Report Breaches and Notifications. Let's start by saying that OCR is really busy… I mean really busy. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/396

Data breaches can be costly - so costly, in fact, that they can turn a business's bottom line into a roller coaster of emotion, ranging from shock and dismay to tears of dollars! But with a robust privacy and security program in place, businesses can reduce the likelihood of a data breach and the financial impact that comes with it. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/395

Today, we are talking about a new OCR settlement that was released from a 2016 hacking attack on Banner Health's network, causing a data breach of over 2.81 million individuals. We'll review the OCR CAP. But suffice it to say… until we have more engagement from every person connecting to the internet, we will never make real progress in the battle against cyber criminals. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/394

It's a story straight out of a blockbuster movie - an elite team of FBI agents infiltrating an underground network to thwart an international crime syndicate, saving over $130 million in ransom demands. Using their expert skills, the FBI agents were able to infiltrate the Hive network without detection and shut them down… at least for now. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/393

AI is the latest nerd language spreading wildly across… well, everywhere. ChatGPT, an automated AI-powered chatbot, is designed to provide automated conversational responses to users in a friendly and natural way. Today, we discuss and show you how ChatGPT explains itself and how it could be used in healthcare. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/392

Knowing what vendors your BAs may use to provide services to your organization is crucial. Those downstream vendors could be the cause of a breach of your data. Signing a BAA does not prove a BA is properly securing your data. Vetting your vendors is as important as making sure your vendors are vetting their vendors. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/391

Using website tracking technology on healthcare sites can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can help healthcare organizations better understand user behavior, preferences, and interests. However, if not properly secured, this technology can also put users at risk of their sensitive data being accessed and used inappropriately. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/390

The recent breach at the popular password manager, LastPass, has caused a lot of concern amongst its users. We ourselves have discussed whether this is the last pass we are going to give to LastPass. So, in today's episode, we discuss what happened, what it means for LastPass users and what are some things you should do or consider doing. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/389

For our first show of 2023 we review 2 more OCR settlements! These are the last ones released in 2022. Listen in to hear what happened so that you can learn how to avoid making the same mistakes in the new year. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/388

This is one of our favorite episodes of the year. We will recap our 2022 privacy and security predictions and then make new predictions for 2023. Aside from the obvious predictions like "ransomware will increase", our predictions will give you what we think you are going to be hearing about that you should worry about in 2023. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/387

As is our custom, we take one week off each year from creating new content just to give us a break. It also gives our sound engineer, Bojan Sabioncello, a chance to shine while he goes through all the outtakes he deals with all year. He gets in front of the mic to share how awful we treat him yet, he is still around after all these years. Thanks to Bojan for his skill in making us sound so good every week. Thanks to all our listeners who have been with us and share our podcast with others. We are here because of you. As always, remember, HIPAA is not about compliance, it is about patient care.

When you think of a power outage happening to you or your business, you probably think of an outage lasting a few hours. Not the case with the recent massive power outage experienced in Moore County NC recently. So, that begs the question, do you have a response plan for experiencing a power outage lasting a week or more? You should. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/386

The holidays are upon us and everyone is getting excited about buying presents for friends and loved ones. Cyber criminals are excited too because it means even more opportunities to attack us. Today, we are discussing an article from ZDnet about three new ways attackers are trying to trick you. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/385

OCR recently released a video on their Recognized Security Practices initiative. The intent is to teach HIPAA regulated entities on what Recognized Security Practices is and what is required to prove its implementation in your organizations. We will review the video today and give you some key takeaways from it. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/384