Data Compliance Solutions

 Data Breaches have become a part of every-day life, and unfortunately, they are never going away. It is for this reason that all companies, especially in the healthcare community, should take proactive steps toward mitigating the risk of a data breach occurring, and have a plan in place should one be identified.

Bio-Haz Solutions is a compliance driven company that knows how difficult it is for businesses to adhere to complex regulations. We also understand how vitally important it is that you, as a medical professional, proactively mitigate the risk of a breach,and also respond appropriately should one occur. Our new service can help in two specific ways:

• CSR Readiness helps your business improve the way it handles personal information and will identify potential privacy or security deficiencies. It then provides a prioritized remediation schedule to fill the gaps in your privacy policies and practices.

• The Breach Reporting Service fulfills your legal requirements to report a breach and notify your customers. This service is provided by Certified Information Privacy Professionals and will help protect your reputation and mitigate fines. It is far better to report the breach versus not reporting the breach and coming up in an investigation. Federal and state laws require any breach in any business to be reported within a certain time limit. 

• Provides peace of mind
• Saves your business time and money
• Translates complex laws and regulations into accessible, actionable information
• Mitigates your risk of civil and/or criminal penalties due to incorrect reporting
• Fullfills regulatory breach reporting requirements
• Provides a key part of your Incident Response Plan
• Offers a single point of contact to simplify the situation

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced in August of 2016 that they have a new initiative to investigate breaches of protected health information (PHI) affecting fewer than 500 individuals. This change means small breaches will be looked at closer and with more frequency. It has now become exponentially more important for every HIPAA covered entity or business associate to maintain robust safeguards to protect the privacy and security of PHI.    

Data breaches have become so widespread that 48 out of 50 states currently have breach notification laws, and 12 states publicize breaches that effect their residents. Understanding how Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) is acquired, accessed, handled, transmitted, stored, and destroyed is critical to any organization. Most importantly, you MUST have the correct policies, processes, and procedures in place to meet the most current and ever-expanding laws and regulations in your state.    

• Insider Theft: an employee intentionally or unintentionally takes company data.
• Hacking: skilled computer experts break into a computer system or network.
• Data on the Move: data is accessed by an unauthorized person during migration.
• Physical Theft: a laptop or other device containing sensitive information is stolen. This also includes theft of hard-copy paper files, notebooks, etc.
• Third-Party Errors: a business associate gains access to sensitive data.
• Employee Error: a current company employee is negligent (e.g., loses their laptop).
• Malware: accidental exposure occurs due to malware on a device.
• Unauthorized Access: sensitive data is exposed to someone who does not have the proper authority.