Jan, 2002 : Digex Achieves HIPAA Compliancy Validation

📅 January 30, 2002 - Digex, Incorporated (digex.com), a managed hosting providerfor business, today announced its managed security offerings have beenvalidated to meet proposed requirements specified under the Health InsurancePortability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

Digex underwent an independent assessment from Internet securitycertification company TruSecure to ensure that its managed security servicesmeet the proposed security standards set by HIPAA. This review providesthird-party validation to Digex's healthcare clients that Digex hasaddressed required levels of security management, access control,encryption, and data backup and recovery services. The overall securityposture of Digex was assessed with regard to core infrastructure, dedicatedhosting and managed firewall solutions. Detailed reviews were conducted ofDigex security in the areas of applications and data criticality, databackup, disaster recovery, access authorization, security personnel, viruschecking, risk analysis, data storage, encryption, biometric scans,passwords, integrity controls and several other areas.
"It is imperative that the healthcare organizations sharing their mostconfidential data with MedeFinance know it is safe and secure," says JamesQuist, CEO of MedeFinance, a provider of online financial services targetingthe healthcare industry. "Given this requirement, it was essential that ourmanaged hosting provider be both in-line with HIPAA and familiar with theoperational issues of the regulations."
Forrester Research emphasizes the importance of the Internet to thehealthcare industry. According to Forrester: "Unlike today's single-mindeduse of the Net to layer status quo processes, health plans will completelyreconfigure their operations and put the Internet at the core as theyrationalize administration, improve member relationships, optimize caredelivery, and create new products."
Evaluation procedures were carried out pursuant to proposed HIPAArequirements and TruSecure risk reduction and mitigation methodology, whichaddressed the areas of administrative issues, physical safeguards, technicalsecurity services and mechanisms, security awareness, procedures andelectronic signature standards.