Hold Security, a firm credited with uncovering significant data breaches – such as the one at Adobe Systems in October 2013 – has uncovered a record-breaking hack of 1.2 billion username and passwords from multiple websites. From the Hold Security website: After more than seven months of research, Hold Security identified a Russian cyber gang which is currently in possession of the largest cache of stolen data. While the gang did not have a name, we dubbed it “CyberVor” (“vor” …

There’s quite a brouhaha bubbling up Down Under. It all stems from a Sydney Morning Herald opinion piece written by the CEO of the Association of Data Driven Marketing and Advertising opposing the mandatory data breach reporting law introduced to the Australian Parliament by federal attorney general Mark Dreyfus. The CEO, Jodie Sangster, raised some eyebrows (and generated plenty of pro and con internet content) by referring to a mandatory data breach reporting law as “Luddite thinking” that would be …

Are you wondering what all the HIPAA fuss is about? Here are a few basics go get you started, along with some reference to in-depth videos along the way. What is HIPAA? HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 that specifies laws for the protection and use of Personal (or Protected) Health Information (PHI) which is essentially your medical record. HIPAA was intended to ease the sharing of Personal Health Information (PHI) between entities that have …

The National Consumer League released a study last week based on surveys from identity fraud victims across the United States. It claims that just 28 percent of victims think the government’s requirements for protecting healthcare and financial data are sufficient. “In this polarized political climate, it’s rare for Americans to express such agreement on any issue,” Al Pascual, a senior analyst at Javelin Strategy & Research, said in a press release. Javelin was a partner in the study. “But when …

After the recent rash of high-profile data breaches, the Internet is ripe with tips for handling a breach at your organization. The standard experts’ message: Notify consumers immediately and don’t downplay the impact. The Dallas Morning News has a keen interest in data breaches because some of the largest recent reports come from retailers headquartered in its home state of Texas: Nieman-Marcus (Dallas), Sally Beauty Holdings (Denton) and Michaels Stores (Irving). In a Sunday story, reporter Pamela Yip discussed proper …

There’s a fundamental change underway in the healthcare system, which is shifting away from a traditional fee-for-service model toward a more accountable, patient-centered model of care. Accountable care organizations (ACO) are popping up across the country with what’s being referred to as a Triple Aim: better care for individuals, better health for populations, and lower per capita costs. In a recent Online Tech Tuesdays at Two webinar session, attorneys Tatiana Melnik and Carrie Nixon extensively defined and discussed the ACO …

If you’ve ever been to a HIMSS show, you know it’s one of the most important healthcare organizations ever made. It’s brimming with healthcare information management hot button topics and innovative ideas. It’s working collectively to optimize patient outcomes and care through technology and policy changes that will keep people safe and healthy. It’s comprised of the field’s leading experts and advocates, and is continually making positive change in the healthcare industry. Which is why we’re so excited to go …

Cyber criminals are being drawn to the healthcare industry like moths to a flame and providers are more vulnerable as the sharing of electronic health records proliferates. To help diminish both those trends, the Institute for Health Technology Transformation (iHT2) recently compiled its “10 Steps to Maintaining Data Privacy in a Changing Mobile World.” With a goal of explaining “how healthcare organizations can best protect themselves from the rapidly growing threat of security breaches and medical identity theft,” the paper …

Co-CEO Yan Ness has a saying that Online Tech is “in the business of helping our clients sleep at night.” Primarily, he’s speaking of organizations not losing sleep worrying about compliance and data security. But at the C-suite level, more and more, protecting data privacy also means protecting careers. On Monday, Target president and CEO Gregg Steinhafel resigned after 35 years with the company. According to a statement from the company’s board of directors, Steinhafel “held himself personally accountable” for …

On Friday, May 9th, a group of healthcare compliance professionals will meet in the Columbus Airport Marriott to discuss a myriad of Health IT issues for the 2014 Healthcare Compliance Association’s Upper North Central Regional Conference. The HCCA group is member-based, includes compliance and risk managers, healthcare CEOs, consultants and attorneys. They cover a wide range of healthcare institutions, from hospitals to home health, group practices to academic institutions. Here’s a little bit of what of what you’ll see at …