The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 protects the security and confidentiality of a patient’s medical records and personal health information. Using HIPAA compliant email systems allows healthcare professionals to send protected health information to patients and other professionals while keeping private information secure and confidential. Enterprise Guardian® provides HIPAA compliant services, including email, domain registration, and document storage. Here’s more information about how secure HIPAA email protects patients:
Encryption
Traditional email is vulnerable to hacking and data breaches, which may lead to unauthorized access to patient information. HIPAA compliant email implements strong end-to-end encryption, making it unreadable to unauthorized individuals. End-to-end encryption encrypts data on the sender’s device, transmits it in an unreadable format, and only decrypts it on the recipient’s device. This means that not even the service provider is able to access the information while it is in transit or stored on servers. Encryption is a security measure Enterprise Guardian® uses to protect the privacy of communication and safeguard your practice’s reputation.
Authentication and Authorization
Access control plays a central role in HIPAA email by verifying the identity of a user before they can access protected health information. Non-secure email servers require users to have only a simple password, making data more accessible to hackers. Enhanced security with stronger password requirements and two-factor or multi-factor authentication strengthen the security of an email server.
Multi-factor authentication requires users to provide multiple pieces of evidence to verify their identity before gaining access to an account. This approach usually requires a password in combination with a mobile app, security key, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Additional authentication measures keep provider email accounts secure even if one part of the login process is compromised. Enterprise Guardian® uses multi-factor authentication to keep all communication and user accounts secure.
Data Integrity
Maintaining data integrity keeps information accurate, consistent, and complete throughout its lifecycle. Data becomes compromised through unauthorized access methods like phishing emails or cyber attacks. These attacks on data integrity expose patient health information, and many public servers do not have adequate security to prevent breaches. Enterprise Guardian®’s HIPAA compliant email server is designed to filter out more than 95% of suspicious emails, helping minimize the risk of a data breach.
Backup Protection
Email backup helps healthcare practices avoid data loss, but backup services are also susceptible to security risks. A strong data protection plan, like the real-time backup option from Enterprise Guardian®, archives all incoming and outgoing messages indefinitely. This data storage keeps all messages and sensitive communications HIPAA compliant while allowing them to be recovered in the event of hardware failure or patient concern.
Get HIPAA Email From Enterprise Guardian®
HIPAA compliant email protects patients and healthcare providers by keeping sensitive information private and adding extra security measures. Secure email servers help increase patient trust and minimize the risk of data breaches. Enterprise Guardian® uses multiple tactics and security methods to keep your patients’ information secure and HIPAA compliant. We also offer technical support and complimentary setup and data migration services. Contact us today to learn more about our HIPAA email system.