Information Technologies and Security in Healthcare Settings

This is course one in the ISC2 Healthcare Certificate Specialization. Information security and technology play a critical role in the healthcare industry. With the increasing use of electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, and other digital technologies, healthcare providers and organizations must prioritize the security of sensitive patient data.​ Information security in healthcare involves protecting patient data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, and destruction. Technology also plays a crucial role in healthcare by enabling more efficient and effective care delivery. However, the use of technology in healthcare also introduces new security risks. Healthcare organizations must ensure that their systems are up-to-date and secure to protect against malicious actors and data breaches. They must also train their staff on proper security practices and be prepared to respond to security incidents.​ Overall, information security and technology are essential components of healthcare delivery. By implementing effective security measures and utilizing technology in a responsible manner, healthcare organizations can provide high-quality care while protecting patient privacy and data. This course is set up in two parts: Information Security and Information Technologies. This course will cover the following learning objectives: Part 1: Information Security Objectives Define the healthcare environment.​ Examine third party relationships.​ Identify essential health data management concepts.​ Part 2: Information Technologies Objectives Describe the impact of healthcare information technologies on Privacy and Security. ​ Describe data life cycle management. ​ Determine the most secure methods of third-party connectivity. ​

• Course Introduction
• Welcome to the ISC2 Healthcare Essentials: Information Security in Healthcare Settings Certificate Program!​​​ The healthcare industry is relying increasingly on technology to improve patient care, streamline operations, and share information. Just like everything, however, there is a cost. With reliance on technology comes the increased risk of cyber threats, data breaches, and other security vulnerabilities that can compromise the privacy and security of sensitive patient information. ​As a result, information security has become a critical concern for healthcare organizations worldwide, requiring comprehensive strategies and measures to safeguard patient data from unauthorized access, theft, or misuse. In this context, understanding the importance of information security in healthcare organizations is essential for protecting the privacy and wellbeing of patients while maintaining the trust and confidence of the wider community.​
• Part 1: Healthcare Essentials: Information Security in Healthcare Settings
• The healthcare industry is exceedingly diverse, consisting of various organizations from small physician practices and large hospitals to laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, biomedical companies, payers (private, public, etc.), regulators, and public health organizations. All these organizations rely on the efficient and effective exchange of patient-related information.​ Security professionals should understand the diversity of the healthcare industry, the types of technologies, and flows of information that require various levels of protection, and how healthcare information is exchanged within the industry.​
• Part 2: Information Technologies in Healthcare
• The goal of this learning experience is to provide security professionals with the necessary knowledge to manage emerging healthcare technologies and to identify emerging threats utilizing these technologies throughout the information life cycle. As healthcare organizations partner with vendors, third parties, and other business associates to execute core and noncore business operations via the cloud and other service offerings, understanding how the organization’s information is shared, accessed, used, and destroyed becomes more important to the healthcare privacy and security practitioner.
• Course Conclusion
• The healthcare industry is seeing many emerging technologies, posing a challenge to security management as legacy systems and inadequately monitored devices are deployed in new ways. At the same time, regulations like GDPR and HIPAA are demanding higher levels of compliance for privacy and security. Managing data throughout its life cycle entails applying the CIA triad to each phase: creation, storage, use, sharing, archiving, and destruction. Finally, information technology management includes knowing the connectivity requirements for third parties that want, or need, to share information. The covered entity’s privacy and security protection practices must be met by the third party at an equivalent level. Data security professionals need to recommend the appropriate trust model and connection agreement for such third-party relationships.