First of all, what is VPN and why do you need VPN? You see, in today's world, security is a big concern. Thousands and even millions of dollars can be lost because of a security breach. When you have top secret or confidential information stolen, or if you have someone breaking into your computer system and deleting important information, you have a lot to lose. So in order to prevent that from happening, innovative developers have come up with a solution known as VPN (Virtual Private Servers). A VPN is meant to protect your system, as well as your network from being compromised. In other words, you don't want anyone to have unauthorized access to your system or network. That will help keep your data safe as you work. How VPN works. Here is a brief primer on how VPN works. When you surf the Internet, you are actually on a public network. That means that if your system is not protected whatsoever, anyone with malicious intent can create all sorts of problems for you. Some of these problems include spyware, viruses, intrusion attacks, etc. To prevent that from happening, you can install additional hardware or software. When you install new hardware that acts as an active Firewall, that may help to stop many of the attacks. Some people prefer to do it with software, and that's where VPN comes in. VPN is short for Virtual Private Network. What happens is that you will be setting up a private tunnel that others will have difficulty locating. In other words, to the outside world, you appear as anonymous. You do this by connecting to another server, and this server acts as your connection to the public network. When you connect to the Internet this way, you are actually on a Private Network. This is a much more secure way to surf the Internet. And the solution is known as VPN. Benefits of a VPN. As you can imagine, there are many Kerio Control Activation Key for using a VPN. You enjoy a lot of security and privacy. For example, if you are surfing from a wireless hotspot, your user names and passwords may be sniffed by sniffers on the network. Sniffer software intercepts data transmitted over the network, and that's how your user names and passwords can be captured. But when you connect through a VPN, there is no such risk. Also, because you are surfing in a private network, you remain anonymous. Some websites log your IP address automatically, especially those that require form submissions. When you are in a private network, your IP address cannot be tracked. This means that you get more privacy as you surf. Is it difficult to set up a VPN? The answer is no, if you know where to look. Professional VPN service providers will be able to setup a VPN account for you. When you want to go online, simply login to your VPN account and start surfing.

You need to keep your patients' electronic data secure to meet both HIPAA and Meaningful Use requirements, but of course beyond that, it is the right thing to do. Your patients entrust you with sensitive information that could be used by criminals to wreck their credit and to provide private medical information to employers or others that they didn't want made public. An objective for Meaningful Use requires doctors to protect electronic health information created or maintained by the certified EHR technology through the implementation of appropriate technical capabilities. They don't specifically state what those "appropriate technical capabilities" are so that you can choose the appropriate ones for your practice now, and as technology changes, you can change with it. The HIPAA Security Rule lists four types of safeguards you must implement. They are administrative safeguards, physical safeguards, organizational standards and policies and procedures. Part of the administrative safeguard is a security risk analysis. This isn't something you do once and you're done; it is ongoing and must be revisited at least annually. It isn't something you can just delegate to your EHR vendor. You can find details in the Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information from healthit.gov. Especially look at Chapter 4. Cyber security, or security through the Internet, is an important part of mitigating risk. In order to send electronic claims, e-prescribe, send C-CDAs to your patients' portals, and use the Infobutton to obtain educational material, Internet access is required. Good hosting facilities protect your data with secure firewalls such as Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASAs) and with Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Safe practices include using anti-virus software and limiting the websites your staff members can access to only those that are necessary for the software to function and for claims to be sent. Good hosting facilities will load the latest software and firmware updates for all digital devices. In your office potential threats can come from email and other websites onto your PCs and your server, if you host your own software. Email can carry viruses and phishing attempts. Phishing, according to TechTarget SearchSecurity, is "a form of fraud in which the attacker tries to learn information such as login credentials or account information by masquerading as a reputable entity or person in email, IM or other Kerio Control Activation Key channels." Ransomware can be hiding in a link or attachment in an email. Ransomware is malware that stops you from using your computer until you pay the ransom. It can encrypt files or stop certain applications from running. There is no guarantee that paying the ransom will correct the problems it created. Websites can be sources of viruses and other types of malware. How can you avoid these threats? Teach your staff members not to click on anything that looks suspicious whether it is an attachment in an email or a link. Keep your anti-virus software up-to-date. Load updates to your operating system and to your firmware on digital devices. Give users only the access they need to do their work. Limit surfing the web and other non-work activities to keep your data, PCs and network safe. At KeyMedical Software we help ophthalmology practices get paid quickly and easily, handle Meaningful Use and MIPS, and keep your patients returning without the practice having to spend a lot of money or have computer specialists on staff. We provide ophthalmologists (Eye MDs) with the complete PM, EHR and optical software solution designed just for them. Our US-based support is the best and most responsive you'll find. If you use KeyMedical's hosting facility, we protect your data as described in the article for a good hosting facility. Go to