Exploration of a Shared Information System in Baylor Scott and White Health - Essay Sample

Introduction

Baylor Scott and White Health (BSWH) is the largest not-for-profit healthcare organization in the state of Texas, United States of America ("Baylor Scott & White Health News : Baylor, Scott & White Complete Merger; Combined Company Becomes Largest Not-for-Profit Health System in Texas," n.d.). The BSWH advances with the growth of global technology, Big Data as well as the Information of Things (IoT). The innovations within the health system enable convenience in the management of patient data and ease coordination among the physicians. An example of a patient portal in BSWH is MyBSWHealth. It is an online-enabled health record system that assists in the management of patient's information. It also makes healthcare easier to access for patients, who can set appointments, view test results, and communicate with their health providers in real-time via any computer, smartphone, and tablet connected to the BSWH network through internet protocols. This portal makes healthcare more coordinated, personalized, and easier to manage. The technology enables patient-physician relations, stores patient information, and is timeless and portable ("Baylor Scott & White Primary Care - Mansfield - Home," n.d.). Moreover, patients can pay medical bills, update mailing addresses, and with permission, they can manage the health information of other family members.

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The information shared by the use of MyBSWHealth portal requires a high level of security measures to safeguard the network from malicious codes and hackers. The system developers must ensure data protection, vulnerability prevention, and counter potential attacks against the information system. The domains of SSCP CBK concepts and practices such as cryptography, and data communication security, and malicious codes/malware prevention approaches can be applied as measures to secure any information shared through the network and internet.

Data Security Through Cryptography

Cryptography is the art of encrypting/hiding messages to ensure security during online communications and transactions. Cryptography is used to scramble information like passwords and makes electronic transmissions of messages safe even in the presence of the third parties. Encryption helps in hiding readable signatures (plain text) by replacing them with digital signatures, hence the senders and recipients of messages are assured of confidentiality, integrity, non-repudiation, and authenticity ("Development of Cryptography-Based Secure Messaging System," n.d.).

In the absence of cryptography, hackers can get into the network and access what would otherwise be confidential. Encryption also ensures secure protocols, and without the decryption key, an adversary cannot learn the characteristics of the transmitted data ("Development of Cryptography-Based Secure Messaging System," n.d.). Therefore, the technique of cryptography is essential in securing a shared patient data through the internet.

Data Communication Security

This form of security prevents network-related threats by controlling network access. It also helps in the implementation and secure operation using wireless technologies. It is critical in the protection of information stored in the facility servers for the BSWH. The network must support patient-physician data sharing without allowing any third party/unauthorized access. The data security can be achieved by a well-defined topology that can eliminate malicious attacks on the grounds of software flaws or eavesdropping. The third parties should be blocked from logging on database or application servers at the database layer to access the back end system database "Network and Communications Security - SSCP Domain 6," 2018). The local area network of the server can also be secured by use of firewalls and safe protocols among others to avoid exploitation of security holes and bugs within the network on the server machine. Layers of defenses such as secure socket layer (SSL) and the use of the HTTPS protocol can also ensure authorized access only while blocking malicious actors from exploiting the server networks and executing threats ("What Is Network Security? | Meaning and Types of Network Security," 2019).

Protection Against Malicious Codes/Malware

Malware can be a shared script or software for the purpose of damaging a system, breaching secure connections, and causing any undesired effects on applications. Examples of malware include Trojan horse, worms, backdoors, viruses, and attack scripts among others. The surest way to secure the systems against malware is by the use of antivirus software. Therefore, to safeguard patients' data within the database, BSWH must install, regularly update, and schedule-scan an anti-malware program. An antivirus handles threats through regular scanning of files to detect malware entry, anomalies, and take action by quarantining the virus and fixing the damage ("What Is Network Security? | Meaning and Types of Network Security," 2019).

References

Baylor Scott & White Health News : Baylor, Scott & White Complete Merger; Combined Company Becomes Largest Not-for-Profit Health System in Texas. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://news.bswhealth.com/releases/baylor-scott-white-complete-merger-combined-company-becomes-largest-not-for-profit-health-system-in-texas

Baylor Scott & White Primary Care - Mansfield - Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.primarycaremansfield.com/Pages/default.aspx

Development of Cryptography-Based Secure Messaging System. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/development-of-cryptographybased-secure-messaging-system-2167-0919-1000142.php?aid=80928

Network and Communications Security - SSCP Domain 6. (2018, July 2). Retrieved from https://itsecuritycareer.com/sscp-domain-6-network-and-communications-security/

What Is Network Security? | Meaning and Types of Network Security. (2019, February 1). Retrieved from https://enterprise.comodo.com/blog/what-is-network-security/