HIPAA and Your Printer Fleet: Did you know that copiers and print machines contain hard drives that capture and store protected health information? That remnant data can leave your healthcare facility vulnerable to security threats from both inside and outside your organization.
Overlooking copiers, printers, and other imaging devices when implementing HIPAA privacy and security measures can be a costly mistake.
Healthcare facilities can eliminate this risk by discussing their concerns with their Managed Print Services (MPS) solutions provider and to develop clear solutions to protect patient information.
When managing their printer and copier fleet, hospital administrators should keep in mind that HDDs and software within their equipment can (and probably does) store information that needs to be part of data hygiene procedures. Knowing what information is stored in each machine, what routine cleanup is necessary and what potential vulnerabilities need to be addressed will save time and costly potential problems in the future.
Newer-generation printers and copiers offer new levels of security, including cyclical cleanup of data stored and data encryption software that ensures greater layers of security. Make sure your printers and copiers are updated with these features, if data security is a concern.
More and more hospitals and healthcare facilities are switching to Managed Print Services to help keep administrative costs low, so they can focus on what matters: taking better care of their patients.
As a Managed Print Services provider, for example, Offix routinely takes the necessary steps to secure a client’s imaging devices and ensure that any network-connected devices include the proper security features to prevent security breaches.
Contact us today to find out how Offix can help you streamline and protect your data management through HIPAA-compliant solutions.