26 Jul Failure to Set Policy Tops List of Security Risks

imagingBiz | While RIS and PACS have become indispensable components of the electronic health record (EHR), they also pose risks to patient security and data integrity. These risks can range in scope from blaster worms to the curious technologist to just plain carelessness, and steps must be taken to secure the personally identifiable information contained in imaging informatics systems, to maintain business continuity, and to ensure HIPAA compliance.

“RIS and PACS are mission-critical systems and any user or device that accesses a PACS network entails risk,” according to Jim Morgan, vice president of medical informatics, FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Stamford, Connecticut. “There are internal risks and external risks: Internal risks can be anyone who has access to the system, from anywhere on the network.”

Most RIS and PACS have internal locks and safeguards that can protect against inappropriate and unauthorized use and intrusions, Morgan says. The safeguards built into Synapse® RIS/PACS, for instance, are robust enough to meet US Department of Defense (DoD) standards. A strong security strategy, however, goes beyond the technical to establish security protocols and policies that reinforce safe use of the system.

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