Logicalis Asks: Is Your Cloud Provider HIPAA-Ready?

Farmington Hills, MI (Vocus/PRWEB) March 29, 2011

If youre a Covered Entity under HIPAA, you may be torn between moving your data into the cloud or maintaining it the old-fashioned way in your own data center. Either way, you must be sure youre complying with HIPAA requirements. But according to Logicalis (http://www.us.logicalis.com), an international provider of integrated information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services, theres no longer any reason to be concerned about moving healthcare data into the cloud if your cloud provider has addressed privacy and security.

For highly regulated industries like healthcare with strict compliance requirements, the cloud presents a particular challenge. When it comes to the cloud, privacy and security is a big deal for Covered Entities, says Von Williams, security analyst for Logicalis. While it remains the ultimate responsibility of the Covered Entity to comply with HIPAA, there are policies and procedures that a cloud provider can have in place to lift the burden of securing at-rest and in-transit data from the shoulders of the Covered Entity. The key, Williams says, is in knowing what to look for.

To help healthcare IT pros assess a potential cloud providers HIPAA readiness, Logicalis has developed a 10-point checklist addressing privacy and security of healthcare data.

Is Your Cloud Provider HIPAA-Ready?

Your cloud provider may be HIPAA-ready if it meets these 10 conditions. But, think of these as forming a STOP sign in your mind, Williams cautions. Dont proceed to Go until every one of these conditions is met.

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Logicalis Asks: Is Your Cloud Provider HIPAA-Ready?