AKIBIA'S PRACTICAL GUIDE TO ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY
Entries with Label: Tim Trow
HIPAA Revitalized in 2009 and Beyond
Friday, March 13, 2009
It’s been a few years since the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) came into effect and since then there seems to have been a “gliding along” approach. Many health organizations are now either compliant or at least feel like they have a grasp on HIPPA privacy and security safeguards and what they all mean. The challenge for organizations has always been “how to” protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in both paper and electronic form. HIPAA has often been labeled somewhat ambiguous and enforcement is not always forthcoming. HIPAA has also been overshadowed somewhat by other compliance and regulatory advances by the government and private industry.
PCI DSS v1.2 and its Requirement from WEP to WPA Wireless Encryption
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Although PCI SSC changed the wireless security standards 6 months ago with the release of PCI DSS v1.2, many merchants are still using WEP in the storage, processing or transmission of credit card information.
The Checklist Approach to IT Security is Failing You
Monday, May 18, 2009
In the past few weeks I have spoken to a number of companies about IT security, and a familiar theme has emerged – too many companies lack a sound framework for overall IT security. Instead many companies are overly focused on completing a check list – firewall, encryption, PCI compliance.
Health Providers Beware of the New HITECH Act
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or more commonly known as the HITECH Act, is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This act appears to put some teeth into the HIPAA regulation of 1996. The HITECH Act wants to provide some general and specific incentives for companies to adopt the electronic health record (EHR) systems for health organizations. With these incentives also comes greater increased privacy and security protections for consumers and potential increased liability for those that are not in compliance.
P3 Cubed: Focus on the Basics
Monday, January 17, 2011
One of the most significant areas of technical concern in the area of information security and assurance is what we have come to call the three P’s - Passwords, Patching and Ports.
P3 Cubed: Focus on the Basics Part II
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Continuing from the previous discussion on the most signifcant areas of technical concern in the area of information security and assurance and the three P’s - Passwords, Patching and Ports, let’s talk next about Patching.
P3 Cubed: Focus on the Basics Part III
Thursday, January 20, 2011
From my previous discussions on the three P’s - Passwords, Patching and Ports, let’s talk finally about Ports.
You can outsource the work, but not the responsibility
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Many organizations are under the impression that if they outsource their credit card transactions, then they are not responsible for their PCI compliance. While this may minimize the scope of the PCI environment, it does not alleviate the responsibility for their PCI compliance.
The Softer Side of Information Security…
Thursday, June 30, 2011
I recently went to a presentation at Norwich University in Vermont. Tom Peters was the speaker...
Keep living in a fantasy world…
Monday, July 11, 2011
It will never happen to us. We know what we are doing. We are too small to be a target. Besides, we have a firewall, intrusion detection system and some really talented people in place to protect us from these so-called hackers. We are good. Technology always works and we just let it sit and run. We are good to go! Think again my friends.
Too Extreme? I don’t think so. Tying security to compensation.
Monday, August 08, 2011
A colleague of mine recently posted a blog about the Black Hats getting the job done and rightfully so. Hackers have been pillaging the countryside lately. How many company compromises have there been over the last 3 months? More than there should be!
Has it really come down to a bag of chips?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A recent vendor machine company had some of its POS systems compromised at waterparks in Wisconsin and Tennessee. This was a major breach…up to 40,000! Go figure. People can’t even buy some snacks or what not from a vending machine without having their credit card information compromised.
Plans are nothing; planning is everything
Monday, October 17, 2011
I think Eisenhower said it best when it comes to plans and planning. I think this also holds true for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery planning.
