Why is Protecting Patient Privacy Important?

Patient privacy and data security are paramount in the healthcare industry. EHRs contain sensitive information that includes everything from medical history to personal identifiers, making them a prime target for cybercriminals. A breach in network security can lead to devastating consequences such as identity theft. Furthermore, maintaining patient trust is foundational to the doctor-patient relationship, and compromised security can erode that trust.

Why is Healthcare a Common Target for Threat Actors?

The healthcare industry is an attractive target for cyberattacks due to the value of the data it holds and the potential impact of disrupting healthcare services. Ransomware attacks and phishing attempts have become increasingly common. Attackers may exploit vulnerabilities in:

• Outdated software
• Weak passwords
• Unsecured medical devices

Our Recommended Network Security Strategies for the Health Industry

1. Encryption: Utilizing encryption for data, both at rest and in transit, can thwart unauthorized access. Encryption converts sensitive data into unreadable code. This is done to ensure that even if a breach occurs, the stolen data remains indecipherable to hackers.
2. Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): Implementing MFA adds an extra layer of security. This method requires users to provide multiple forms of verification before accessing systems or data. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access in case passwords are compromised.
3. Regular Software Updates and Patch Management: Outdated software is a prime target for cyberattacks. Regularly updating and patching operating systems and medical devices minimizes vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.
4. Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): These tools monitor network traffic and detect unusual or suspicious activities. Firewalls establish a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, while IDS alerts administrators to potential security breaches.
5. Employee Training and Awareness: Human error is the most common contributor causing 88% of security breaches. Educating employees about social engineering tactics and best practices for data handling can significantly reduce the risk of successful attacks.
6. Vendor Security Assessment: For healthcare organizations that rely on third-party vendors for services or software, conducting thorough security assessments is crucial. Ensuring that vendors adhere to stringent security standards helps safeguard patient data.
7. Incident Response Plan: Having a well-defined incident response plan in place can minimize damage in the event of a security breach. Rapid and coordinated action can help mitigate the impact of an attack and prevent further compromise.

Network security in the healthcare industry is not merely a technical concern; it directly impacts patient well-being and the integrity of healthcare services. As technology continues to shape the future of healthcare, the importance of a secure network cannot be overstated. By implementing encryption, multi-factor authentication, regular updates, and comprehensive employee training, healthcare organizations can create a strong defense against cyber threats. In an environment where information is sensitive, prioritizing network security is a non-negotiable step towards ensuring a more secure digital healthcare ecosystem.

The post The Healthcare Industry and Protecting it Against Threat Actors appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

As governments and health agencies around the world begin considering to and/or easing quarantines, starting Wednesday, June 10^th, Wowrack will start requiring everyone that visits Wowrack’s office or data center to wear facial coverings within all common areas of Wowrack facilities.  

Regarding the protocols, you must:

• Wear any face coverings that fit snugly and cover one’s nose and mouth. Cloth-based face coverings are permitted (it does not have to be surgical grade or N95-rated masks).
• Wear the face coverings at all times within the common and near entry/exit areas.
• Bring your own facial coverings for Wowrack will be unable to provide those to visitors due to limited supplies globally.

During your visitation, we also suggest you to:

• Maintain proper social distancing guidelines.
• Limit your time in the common areas as well as site visits and onsite personnel to a minimum or critical activities only. Work activities requiring 3^rd party vendors, onsite auditors or non-essential staff should be deferred.
• Help keep the number of occupants per elevator to a maximum of 2.
• Immediately report onsite positive cases of COVID-19 to Wowrack Management at management@wowrack.com should you find any.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding pertaining to these guidelines and protocols. Should there be any future changes or adjustments, we will keep you updated promptly.

Regards,

Wowrack Management

The post Site Visit to Wowrack – Facial Covering Requirement appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Dear Valued Customer,
As the global effect of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, we at Wow Technologies, Inc are committed to the health and safety of our customers and employees. We continue to monitor the developments and the guidance of public health authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In light of recent developments, including the recent Washington State “Stay at Home” order by Governor Inslee as of 3/23/2020, I wanted to provide you with an update on our efforts to continue to provide your Hosting needs.

What you can expect from us :

• Our business operation has been deemed as “essential” business as Datacenter operators and Network Operators in the “Stay at Home” order. This means that Wowrack will continue to operate our Data Center and Cloud infrastructure and be able to support it.
• Our Data Center continues to be operational and staffed 24/7. Employees who are not feeling well are required to stay home.  Employees onsite are required to follow the public health authorities’ guidance on personal hygiene, infection prevention, and control practices.
• All employees who are not essential to facility maintenance have been asked to work remote; we’ve limited travel and opted for virtual meetings whenever possible.
• We are increasing cleaning frequency in high traffic touch points such as door handle and finger print reader for our Datacenter and office doors.
• Only authorized customers are welcome to visit our datacenter when necessary, but at this time, we have asked our employees to refrain from shaking hands and to maintain the recommended six-foot distance from others.
• We are rescheduling and/or cancelling all non-essentials in-person meetings. We can still be reached virtually thru email, phone conferences, zoom meetings, and video calls.
• All on-site customer projects that requires our engineer to be on-site will have to be rescheduled unless it is an outage or emergency situation. 

  Our request to you:

• We recognize that your business still have to operate and projects still have to be performed in a timely manner. However, due to the “Stay at Home” Order and the safety of our employees, we request that all non-critical projects that requires in-person or on-site visit to be rescheduled to later dates. Our Network operation team is still available 24/7/365 to attend to your request remotely if needed.
• Unless necessary, please avoid interfacing with our employees face to face.  If you need carts, tools, etc during your visit to our Datacenter, please request those items by sending your request to support@wowrack.com so that our staff can put your requested items beside your cabinet.  Once you are done, you can leave those items beside your cabinet and update the ticket so our staff can retrieve them.
• We urge you to monitor the guidance of public health authorities and other sources of credible information. For your convenience, below are some references and resources for your consideration:
  Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)

We appreciate the trust that you place in Wow Technologies Inc. and assure you we will continue to closely monitor the situation and take actions necessary to help keep our employees and customers safe while maintaining a high standard of service! 

Best Regards,

Erward Osckar
Chief Executive Office

The post Covid-19 Situational Update from Wowrack appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Very quickly, healthcare IT professionals are seeing the immense power that cloud hosting can provide to their digital infrastructure, as it supports two of their overarching goals: creating and maintaining cost-effective services and providing high-quality patient care. Companies like Wowrack provide varying levels of managed hosting options and provide a full spectrum of services that can be customized to fit the needs of your team, from private cloud hosting, managed security, disaster recovery and more.  

Cost-Effective Management

Transitioning to cloud technology can bring about significant cost savings to healthcare providers by limiting their expenditures to only the infrastructure and storage capabilities they utilize. One of the cloud’s continuous advantages is its ability to transform data analyzations in multiple, collaborative ways that can be useful to many groups of people quickly. This limits the manpower needed to drive these reports and instead can be automated based on the set-up of the servers. Additionally, the scalable accessibility of the cloud is extremely helpful in rolling out new applications, whether remotely or in-house.

Elevated Patient Care Standards

Year over year, standards continue to rise for patient care, and this doesn’t just include a physician’s bedside manner. Security protocols are continuously being scrutinized and tested to ensure the maximum amount of protections possible against possible data breaches. Similarly, the customizations within the cloud are endless, allowing the facility to tailor the data to whatever output is needed on an analyzation and reporting basis. Additionally, hosting patient information on a secure private cloud can greatly help with the accuracy of patient information and decreased number of errors that can occur with manual handling of data.

Healthcare Cybersecurity Measures

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest concerns healthcare administrators have towards transitioning to cloud computing is security. When dealing with classified information such as patient data, one can’t be too careful with the security protocols put into place. Luckily, the cloud can be customized to provide exactly the right amount of security needed to protect your data, and added security measures can ensure peace of mind when an in-house IT team isn’t available 24/7. For those in the industry, HIPAA compliance is something that needs to be addressed in all areas of data storage and management, and through cloud computing, services like HIPAA compliant data storage and HIPAA compliant email are possible without as many risks as past methods.

The future of the healthcare industry, and individual providers, will ultimately largely be based on the quality of their network infrastructure. Companies with a healthcare-focused cloud specialization like Wowrack analyze and implement aspects that result in seamless and secure cloud hosting for your patient information and applications. For those in charge of IT services within various healthcare organizations, taking on the architecture and implementation of cloud-based digitization protocols can be a hefty undertaking, and can greatly benefit with the expertise and guidance of a professional managed hosting provider.

Contact us today if you would like to speak with one of our specialists. Wowrack is always happy to discuss new ways we can help  your company grow.

The post Impact of Cloud Computing on the Future of Healthcare appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

HIPAA Compliant Hosting Begins With a Free Assessment

Wowrack can work with you and your HIPAA compliant cloud hosting needs. At Wowrack, we start with a free assessment. We have valued partnerships with Above Cloud, a company dedicated to managing healthcare risk, and Security Force Corp, a certified encryption software company. Through these partnerships, we assess your software to ensure HIPAA compliance and spot weaknesses in your data technology. This assessment is free and comes with no risk to your company.

The Business Associate Agreement

The Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is an important part of keeping your patients safe. The BAA applies to personnel that work on medical software and other resources but are not in the medical profession themselves. Sometimes it’s a struggle to get all the necessary parties to sign, but at Wowrack we will happily work with you in obtaining your signed BAA. When you’re trying to protect information and establish HIPAA compliant hosting, you don’t need an extra obstacle standing in the way of patient safety.

External Protection

A large part of maintaining HIPAA compliant hosting involves external protection. The hardware you store your information on is just as important as your software solutions. It’s also important to keep HIPAA protected data in a secure location. With Wowrack, your data is stored in a highly secure, two-factor authenticated data center. You can also choose between several data center locations worldwide to meet your specific needs. No matter your choice, the information stays safe because security is our top priority.

Internal Protection

Of course, you’ll also need software protection, and at Wowrack we’re highly experienced in this type of protection. Our encryption experts keep your patients’ information safe from hacking, leaks, and other internal disasters. We will work to determine the best software and hardware configuration to provide optimal protection while meeting the needs of your healthcare organization.

At Wowrack, we understand the importance of patient information protection. You want to help your patients with the latest technology while maintaining their trust. We want to help. Contact us through our website to schedule your consultation today.

The post Protect Your Patients With HIPAA Compliant Hosting appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

1) “Am I giving IT too many responsibilities?”

Regardless of whether or not you outsource your IT, your in-house team has a lot on their plate no matter what. Because of this, companies generally choose to have an in-house IT team working alongside managed services to make sure their network is constantly at the top of its game. If you are giving IT too many jobs to do, then they are going to have a hard time making sure all the roles are being met. So, if your IT person or team has already expressed this to you, then it’s time to hand over some of those responsibilities to a managed cloud hosting provider.

2) “What happens if there is a data breach?”

If a data breach is one of your biggest concerns right now (and, it should be), then that’s a good enough reason as any to begin outsourcing your IT. There’s no sense in taking any risk at all with how far your company has come. Why take any chances? A managed hosting provider can take this worry off your hands. In addition, they can come up with a disaster recovery solution just for your company, while also helping you pass compliance standards if you’re dealing with sensitive information from your customers.

3) “Is my business expanding at a rapid rate, but support isn’t measuring up?”

Perhaps when you first started, you just had a website, hosted by one of those generic providers. But, now, things have changed (for the better). Now, your website has consistent traffic 24/7 a day, and you cannot risk a potential traffic jam slowing down your business. If you require a network that can support what you’re dealing with, then don’t stress. Just hand it over to a managed hosting provider and let them deal with the rest.

Wowrack can help you answer all your questions about hiring a managed cloud hosting provider. Contact us today to learn more.

4) “Does my network require a specific infrastructure?”

Speaking of expanding your business, are you even set-up to do something like that in the first place? This has probably got you thinking. If you’re not sure how all the stuff works behind the scenes — a cloud architecture, different types of products, etc. — then don’t sit around trying to do it by yourself. It’s time to talk to a professional about the best options available.

5) “Am I too busy to worry about any of this?”

If any of the previous questions have come up at all, then you’ve probably dismissed them with a, “Wow, I’m too busy to even be concerned with this right now.” We get you. You shouldn’t have to be concerned with managing your your network on this scale. While that doesn’t mean you’re excused from all responsibilities, you have other things you need to take care of in the office. Let someone else do the worrying.

It’s hard to know when is the right time to finally move your network over to a managed service provider. If you’ve been asking yourself any of these questions, then you know what it is you need to do!

The post If You’re Asking Yourself These Questions, It’s Time to Outsource Your IT appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Here’s why:

Expand Your Business

Choosing a cloud hosting option that’s scalable gives you the best opportunity to have your network grow with your business in the future. Many companies hold off on moving to the cloud because they feel as though they aren’t quite ready to do so. Perhaps they don’t yet have the funds or the client-base to make that kind of change. However, making the move to the cloud in the beginning stages will not only make your business more accessible to more people, but it will also allow you to save money in the long run. This is because most MSPs offer scalable solutions, so you don’t need to pay for what you aren’t using right now — you can always make the necessary upgrades later on.

Take More Time for What Matters

Turning to an MSP means that in addition to gifting your company a brand new infrastructure set-up next year, you will also have the support of a professional provider. This means they will manage everything, while you continue doing the many jobs you need to do as a company leader. If you have a lot of projects you’re hoping to get done next year, managing your network shouldn’t get in the way. Make it your resolution to work on what you need to do, while an MSP stays on top of the rest. After all, why risk losing all the hard work you’ve done when your MSP can provide amazing backup and disaster recovery solutions?

Wowrack wants you to be on the right track for next year. Contact us to learn more.

Keep the Important Jobs in the Hand of Professionals

Is not knowing who to trust holding you back from making some changes for next year? That’s understandable, and exactly why we stress the importance of making sure you can trust your MSP. This is why Wowrack offers data center tours to ensure you’re getting a good look at the services you’ll be receiving. Therefore, you can feel confident knowing that this important job lies in the hands of a  dedicated team of experts. There will always be someone available that can solve the problem your network may be presenting, but ultimately, the team will help recognize any problems well before they occur.

Also, it helps to know that if something does happen — for instance, a data breach — you won’t necessarily be the one held completely responsible.

Provide Consistent Customer Satisfaction

Lastly, a major goal you should have for the upcoming year is to continue growing that trust between you and your clients. One of the ways to achieve this is by maximizing your security standards, thereby ensuring your customers that you’re doing everything in your power to mitigate risks that could have the potential to leak their information. This is why, depending on the industry you’re in, it’s so important to practice compliance laws. Opting for the services of an MSP as one of your New Year’s resolutions will help you bring in more customers, and improve your CRM overall. Additionally, it will keep you safe from problems like shut-downs, delays, data disasters, breaches, and visits from auditors. A strong approach to this means happy customers.

So, what’s the hold up? Let us help you achieve the New Year’s resolutions you have for your company.

The post Turning to Managed Services Should be Your Company’s New Year Resolution appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Here at Wowrack, not only do we take you on a tour of a data center, but we also host open houses every so often to welcome large groups of those who just want to come by and check it out.

The next data center tour is January 10th. After all, what better way to start the New Year and gift your company’s network a new home?

Why Going on a Data Center Tour is Important

Since the data center is the selected location of where your server will be stored, it’s super important to know what this is going to look like. And, in general (but not always) seeing one data center will give you a good sense of what the other MSP’s data centers look like, too.

Seeing a data center for yourself can, for one, show you the obvious things. For instance, you can see if the data center is physically secured, if there is a cooling system in place, and overall, how the machinery looks. If it seems dusty, cluttered, and there are loose wires sticking out every which way, you may want to take a look at some other data centers, too. It also gives you a chance to learn more about how it all works, as well ask any questions that come to mind or haven’t already been answered.

Which, brings us to our next point…

What Questions You Should Ask

When it comes to as something as big as this, you want to make sure you’re absolutely certain before making the time and monetary investment. This is another way to get a good read on your prospective MSP. If they seem hesitant to answer your questions or are making you feel uncomfortable by asking them in the first place, then you might get a good sense of how your experience will be in the long term.

And, if you can’t think of any questions, here are some examples to get the juices flowing:

• Security – Who has access to the building? Have there have been break-ins?
• Electrical Infrastructure – How is this place getting power? How many distribution, backup systems, and generators are there?
• Troubleshooting – What happens if there is a problem with my equipment?

If you’d like to attend our Data Center Tour, Contact us today to make an appointment.

Registration for Wowrack’s Data Center Tour

Here at Wowrack, we believe there shouldn’t be any mystery. We pride ourselves on being transparent, so what you see is what you get.

In just a few weeks our Data Center Tour will take place on January 10th, 2018 from 9 AM to 3:30 PM, in Tukwila, Washington. Come and see for yourself the quality of the servers we maintain.

What to Do if you Can’t Make it This Time

If you can’t make it to this Data Center Tour, no worries! Wowrack always has our doors open (of course, not the doors to our secured data center) so you can make an appointment for a time that works best for you.

The post Are You Ready for Wowrack’s Data Center Tour? appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

That being said, it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Companies first need to be aware what kind of compliance laws apply to their business, and how they can set up the best infrastructure to reach those compliance goals.

Not sure where to start?

Then leave it to your provider to get you situated, get you and your customers protected, and of course, prepare yourself for auditors.

What Compliance Category Do You Fall Into?

So, we’ve got healthcare and payment card industries pretty much covered. But, there are a lot of companies outside of these categories that need to follow compliance policies as well, since they are dealing with some kind of sensitive information. To give you an idea, here are some examples of companies who have more serious compliance needs:

FISMA – FISMA stands for the “Federal Information Security Management Act” which was implemented by the U.S. government in order to protect sensitive government information against threats. It’s meant for companies who work with federal agencies or with federal contracts to keep information out of the wrong hands and ultimately keep risks low. FISMA Compliance is monitored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

GLBA – GLBA, or “The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act” was passed nearly twenty years ago to ensure that financial institutions — such as those that offer loans, insurance, or financial consulting — are held responsible when it comes to how they handle the private information of the individuals they serve.  This category of compliance makes sure these companies are safeguarding sensitive data and are transparent with how they manage information-sharing.

SOX – Do you invest some money in stocks? Whether you do so as an individual or as a company, the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act” oversees enterprises to make sure there are no fraudulent practices or accounting errors. This is done by forcing these companies to give full disclosure about their operations. Essentially, SOX is there to help eliminate financial scandals by forcing these companies to keep all business records and messages on file through appropriate data classification tools.

There are other types of compliance categories as well, including specific certifications to grant compliance in one area. Some examples of these are AES-256 Protection or FIPS Certification 140-2.

Not sure what you need?

Most companies should already know very well what they need to be compliant in. But, managing and achieving that compliance may be way out of their expertise — and, actually, it should be. No company should be managing their own compliance, except for what their managed hosting provider instructs them to do on their end.

Concerned about compliance? Wowrack provides regulatory compliance for a number of different industries, all under one roof. Contact us to learn more!

On the Right Path to Compliance

Companies who don’t follow compliance laws are seriously putting themselves and their customers at risk. Between hefty fines, ruining your business’ reputation, and even the possibility of imprisonment, failure to have your company prove its compliance isn’t up for debate.

Furthermore, if it’s going to be done, it needs to be done correctly. This is why it’s important to turn to a professional and experienced managed cloud hosting provider who will take care of your infrastructure, documents, monitor your security risks, and stay up to date with compliance laws so you don’t miss a beat.
Managing compliance standards can be stressful. Thankfully, your MSP can take it off of your hands and lift that weight off your shoulders.

The post Need to Pass Compliance Standards for Your Company? Leave It To Your Provider appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

It’s no surprise being in the Pacific Northwest that Seattle rains and howls each Fall Season. To the City resident’s great inconvenience, this time high winds caused a power outage lasting 40 hours and 30 minutes covering 150,000+ homes in Western Washington, including our office building and the Tukwila Data Center.

So what happened?
The blackout started approximately 5:07 p.m. on Nov 13th and our backup infrastructure systems in place seamlessly transferred power from our Utility Feed to the Generator Feed, resulting in continuous operation at full capacity.

Approximately 6 poles fell just west of our property, along Military Road, and several trees were down which hampered Seattle City Light’s (SCL) efforts to restore power sooner:

(Above picture was taken on Nov 13 2017. Not showing clearly on the picture are several poles down behind the trees)

We received updates about the power restoration efforts underway, however, due to the massive trees that needed to be cleared out in order to reach some of the poles, the resolve time projected continuously got pushed back.  In efforts of preparing for the worst case scenario, we monitored our generator closely in order to ensure we replenished fuel well ahead of time.

After 2 days of power outage at our data center, we are happy to report that we are finally back with power as of November 15 2017!

Our team worked tirelessly around the clock to guarantee our data center was continually powered on, in addition to frequently updating our customers base with any and all status insight of note, as they were made available to us.

Stay dry and enjoy Thanksgiving!

The post Outage – Two Business Days Without Power appeared first on Wowrack Blog.