Why encrypt

Quick Summary

• Healthcare industry has shifted to electronic medical records (EMRs) for storing and managing patient information, making it more efficient but also raising concerns about data security.
• Encryption is an effective solution to protect patient privacy and sensitive medical information from cyber threats.
• Benefits of encrypting medical files include enhanced security, compliance with regulations, improved patient confidence, and reduction of data breaches and associated costs.
• Healthcare organizations can take steps to effectively encrypt medical files, such as identifying risks, developing encryption policies, and implementing appropriate encryption technologies.

Introduction

In recent years, the healthcare industry has undergone a digital transformation, with electronic medical records (EMRs) becoming the norm for storing and managing patient information. While this shift has made access to medical records easier and more efficient, it has also increased the risk of security breaches and unauthorised access to patient data. One of the biggest challenges facing healthcare organisations is ensuring that sensitive medical information remains confidential and secure. Encryption is an effective solution to this problem, as it can help safeguard patient privacy and protect data from cyber threats.

This white paper will explore the importance of encrypting medical files, highlighting the key benefits of this approach. It will also provide guidance on implementing effective encryption strategies to protect patient data and comply with regulatory requirements. Medical records contain highly sensitive information, including a patient's medical history, diagnoses, and treatments. As such, encrypting these files before sending them to patients can help ensure their confidentiality and protect them from potential breaches

Background

The digitalization trend in the healthcare industry has led to a widespread adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) as the standard for storing and managing patient information. While this has increased the accessibility and efficiency of medical records, it has also raised concerns regarding the security of patient's sensitive data. One of the biggest challenges faced by healthcare organisations is ensuring that sensitive medical information is not accessed or compromised by unauthorised individuals.

• What is health information?

“Health information is a specific type of ‘personal information’ which may include information about your physical or mental health or disability.”

It includes:

• Personal information you provide to any health organisation
• A health service already provided to you
• A health service that is going to be provided to you
• A health service you have asked to be provided to you
• Some personal information for organ donation
• Some genetic information about you, your relatives or your descendants.

This information is highly valuable to cybercriminals who can use it for fraudulent activities or identity theft. In addition, patients have a right to privacy and expect their medical information to be kept confidential.

Discussion and Analysis

Encrypting medical files ensures that only authorised individuals can access patient data, even if it is intercepted during transmission or stolen from a database. This is especially important as data breaches continue to be a major concern for the healthcare industry, with hundreds of millions of records compromised each year.

One of the key benefits of encrypting medical files is that it helps to comply with regulatory requirements. In many countries, including Australia, healthcare organisations are required by law to protect patient data using encryption. Failure to do so can result in significant fines and legal penalties. Encrypting medical files also helps healthcare organisations to meet standards set by regulatory bodies such as the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act) and the Health Records Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act). Compliance with these regulations not only ensures legal compliance but also instills confidence in patients that their data is being protected.

Another important benefit of encrypting medical files is that it can improve patient trust and satisfaction. Patients are increasingly concerned about the security of their medical information and want to know that their data is being protected. By encrypting medical files, healthcare organisations can demonstrate their commitment to patient privacy and security, which can help to build trust with patients. This, in turn, can lead to increased patient satisfaction and loyalty.

Finally, encrypting medical files can also help to reduce the risk of data breaches and associated costs. Data breaches can be incredibly costly for healthcare organisations, both in terms of financial losses and damage to reputation. By encrypting medical files, healthcare organisations can reduce the likelihood of data breaches occurring and mitigate the impact of any breaches that do occur. This can ultimately lead to significant cost savings for healthcare organisations and protect them from reputation damage.

Encryption is a method of converting information into a code, which can only be decoded by someone who has the key to unlock it. By encrypting medical files before sending them to patients, healthcare organisations can protect patient data from cyber threats and safeguard their privacy. There are several benefits of encrypting medical files, including:

• Enhanced Security: Encryption can help to prevent unauthorised access to medical records, ensuring that only authorised individuals have access to sensitive patient data. This is particularly important given the rise of cyber threats targeting the healthcare industry, such as ransomware attacks and data breaches.
• Compliance with Regulations: Healthcare organisations are subject to strict regulations regarding the handling of patient data. Encrypting medical files can help organisations comply with regulatory requirements, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Improved Patient Confidence: Patients are increasingly concerned about the security of their personal information, particularly when it comes to medical records. By implementing effective encryption strategies, healthcare organisations can improve patient confidence and trust.

Implementing encryption strategies can be challenging, particularly for smaller healthcare organisations that may have limited resources. However, there are several steps that healthcare organisations can take to effectively encrypt medical files and protect patient data.

• Identify Risks: Healthcare organisations should conduct a risk assessment to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities to patient data. This can help to identify areas where encryption may be necessary to protect patient privacy.
• Develop Encryption Policies: Healthcare organisations should develop encryption policies that outline the procedures for encrypting and decrypting medical files. These policies should be communicated to all staff members and regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they remain effective.
• Implement Encryption Technologies: Healthcare organisations should implement encryption technologies that are appropriate for the types of data being stored and transmitted. This may include using encryption software or hardware devices to encrypt data at rest or in transit.
• Train Staff: Healthcare organisations should provide regular training to staff members on the importance of data security and the procedures for encrypting and decrypting medical files. This can help to ensure that all staff members are aware of their responsibilities when it comes to protecting patient data.

Recommendations

1. Conduct a risk assessment: Before implementing any encryption strategy, it is important to conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities in your systems and processes. This will help you to determine which data needs to be encrypted and the level of encryption required.
2. Choose the right encryption method: There are several encryption methods available, including symmetric and asymmetric encryption. Choose the right method based on the level of security required, ease of implementation, and the resources available.
3. Train staff on encryption protocols: Healthcare organisations should provide regular training to staff on encryption protocols to ensure that they understand the importance of encryption and how to implement it correctly.
4. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements: Healthcare organisations must ensure compliance with regulatory requirements such as the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act) and the Health Records Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act).

Conclusion

In conclusion, encryption is an important tool for safeguarding patient data in the healthcare industry. By implementing effective encryption strategies, healthcare organisations can protect patient privacy, comply with regulatory requirements, and improve patient confidence and trust.

At Medical File Share, we strive to offer a fast and easy file sharing service that keeps your privacy and security at the forefront. Your data and online activity are not tracked or sold for profit, and we take measures to ensure your personal data remains private. We prioritize your privacy and security.

We utilize 128-bit AES-GCM encryption through the Web Crypto API to secure files in the browser before they are uploaded to our servers.

Furthermore, all communications to and from our servers, including file uploads and downloads, are protected by HTTPS/TLS encryption.

With our encrypted file sharing service, you can share your files with anyone, anywhere in the world, worry-free.

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Medical File Share is a free, open-source, and easy-to-use file sharing service for medical professionals.

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References:

Australian Cyber Security Centre. (2021). Implementing certificates, TLS, HTTPS and opportunistic TLS.https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/publications/implementing-certificates-tls-https-and-opportunistic-tls

Mozilla. (n.d.). Web Crypto API.https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Web_Crypto_API

Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 No 133: NSW Government. (1998). Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 No 133.https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1998-133

RACGP. (2019). Using email in general practice – privacy and security matrix. Retrieved fromhttps://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/Running%20a%20practice/Security/Using-email-in-general-practice-privacy-and-security-matrix.pdf

RACGP. (2020). A review of the safety and quality benefits of secure messaging. Retrieved fromhttps://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/Running%20a%20practice/Practice%20resources/Safety-and-quality-benefits-of-secure-messaging.pdf

RACGP. (2021). RACGP position statement: Safe and effective electronic transfer of information to and from general practice. Retrieved from.https://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/Running%20a%20practice/Technology/RACGP-Position-Statement-Safe-and-effective-electronic-transfer-of-information-May-2021.pdf

RACGP. (n.d.). Secure electronic communications.https://www.racgp.org.au/running-a-practice/technology/business-technology/secure-electronic-communications

Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 No 71: NSW Government. (2002). Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 No 71.https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-2002-071

ProPrivacy. (n.d.). AES encryption.https://proprivacy.com/guides/aes-encryption