Jan 28
2021
Important Steps For E-Health Businesses To Remain GDPR Compliant
By Milica Vojnic, digital marketeer, Wisetek.
In no small part to the fact that we live within a decidedly digital society, it only stands to reason that securing personal and private information is now one of the most pertinent concerns. This is also why the European Union created the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) protocol to mitigate the chances of private material falling into the wrong hands. Of course, some sectors tend to be more vulnerable than others. One striking example involves the e-health community. This article highlights the steps firms can take to better protect their clients and remain in full compliance with GDPR guidelines.
The Role of ITAD for Health Organizations
First and foremost, the notion of IT Asset Distribution (ITAD) is critical to address before moving on. The main concern involves the fact that important patient information (such as names, email addresses and financial details) may be inadvertently stored within end-of-life devices such as computers and mobile phones. If they are not disposed of properly, there is always a risk that this data can be subsequently accessed by a (potentially nefarious) third party. ITAD provides start-up healthcare organisations with a handful of options including:
- Overwriting the existing information.
- Magnetically erasing the data; rendering it completely inaccessible.
- Physically destroying the device(s) in question.
As these processes are not normally able to be accomplished through the use of in-house techniques, it is better to outsource such solutions to third-party vendors with a proven track record.
A Disturbing Trend Within the Healthcare Sector
Another issue which start-up online healthcare providers must overcome involves online security in relation to current GDRP regulations. This has been highlighted by a handful of stark facts; perhaps the most worrisome is that 66 percent of firms still do not utilise a secure HTTPS server. Not only will this place the data of patients at risk, but it also augments the chances that the website in question could fall victim to hacking and similar activities. Thus, it is crucial that all e-health portals adopt the appropriate SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) systems to avert any possible breaches sooner as opposed to later.