HIPAA Compliance & IBM Cloud
IBM provides a cloud platform to help groups create their mobile and web services, build native cloud apps, and host their infrastructure along with a wide variety of cloud-based services for the capture, analysis, and processing of data.
The platform has already been configured by many healthcare suppliers, payers, and health plans, and applications and portals have been developed to provide patients with better access to their health data.
IBM Cloud Security
IBM is one of the main players in the field of network and data security, and its expertise has resulted in its cloud platform performing in a highly secure fashion. Security is incorporated into the core of all of the firm’s software and services to see to it that sensitive data remains confidential and cannot be logged onto by unauthorized individuals. Its audit and security reports are made available to its users to assess during risk analysis and risk management processes.
Business Associate Agreement for the IBM Cloud Platform
As of 2014, IBM has been providing its cloud services to healthcare clients and has been completing business associate agreements for its social, mobile, meetings, and mail cloud offerings.
IBM’s business associate agreements include the IBM Cloud and details its responsibilities for security, including technical and physical control measures in its data centers, permitted uses and disclosures of PHI, use of subcontractors, and its reporting requirements should a security breach occur.
Healthcare customers must see to it that they have a completed copy of the business associate agreement from IBM before any IBM cloud services are used along with protected health information.
IBM also offers HIPAA covered entities and their business associates services to help them create their cloud applications correctly and create proper privacy and security solutions.
IBM meets its obligations for a business associate by ensuring its cloud platform meets and exceeds the minimum requirements of the HIPAA Security Rule and IBM agrees to adhere to inthe HIPAA Privacy Rule and Breach Notification Rule.
IBM will complete into a business associate agreement with HIPAA covered groups using the IBM Cloud, So the IBM Cloud can be considered a HIPAA compliant cloud service.
However, HIPAA compliance can only be in place with a shared responsibility. IBM only provides the security and the tools so that its cloud platform can be used without breaching HIPAA Rules. It is the charge of HIPAA-covered groups to ensure that cloud-based infrastructure and applications are set up properly, and that stored files are appropriately safeguarded.
