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Is Your BYOD Policy HIPAA Compliant?

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Is Your BYOD Policy HIPAA Compliant?

Bring Your Own Device or BYOD policies are a great tools for employees and a money saver for companies, but it can also be a risky policy if not conducted properly. Mobile devices and a BYOD policy in the health care field can allow professionals to easily transition workflows, boost productivity and improve communication. The major issue with a BYOD policy in this field is the risk of security breaches leaking personal information and medical records of the patients. This is not only a concern for the hospital and its staff, but it has also shown to be a major concern among patients and the public. Here are some tips on how to ensure your BYOD policy, employees and vendors stay HIPAA approved:

Everyone Is On The Same Page

When it comes to security and responsibility expectations, make sure you have a clear set of rules in line for your employees, staff, vendors and other members of your business network. If anyone in these groups is using a BYOD policy, ensure they are under a strict guideline of security protocols and are meeting expectations according to your HIPAA compliance program. Make sure your staff, vendors and sub vendors are all clear on security requirements and have a clear understanding of the steps and responsibilities that are to be taken in the circumstances of a security breach.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Don’t skimp on security protocols when it comes to private and sensitive information. Ensure that all devices that are in use and hold hospital records have two forms of security walls. The first can be a generic login where hospital staff can use their general credentials to gain access to log in. The second stage should contain a secure pin that is assigned to each individual and changed regularly. This pin should also be set to request re-entry if a device has been idle for a certain amount of time. If any devices should go missing, you must have a strict requirements that it be reported immediately and have a team in place to wipe the device clean before it can be breached.

Set The Standards

Not all apps on a device are up to the HIPAA security standards and encryption requirements. This means you should regularly monitor and audit the devices to ensure there are not apps, programs or breaches putting information at risk. This also means constant monitoring and updating of security programs. Don’t wait when it comes to updating security software on devices. The day or two you wait may be all the time a hacker needs to steal the information.

Pave the Way for a Successful BYOD Policy

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Pave the Way for a Successful BYOD Policy

Is your company currently allowing a Bring Your Own Device or BYOD policy for your employees, or considering starting one? While this strategy is a great way to promote productivity and save money for your business, you have to make sure you know the lay of the land before you start allowing a BYOD program at your office. Here are some helpful tips to ensure a BYOD policy is a success and not a regret:

Decide On Your Devices

Before you open up a BYOD policy, make sure you make it clear to your employees which devices are and are not allowed. Are you still going to be supplying certain devices? Are you allowing only iPhones or only Android devices? Are laptops and tablets allowed? Be sure to define a clear service policy for the devices allowed under your BYOD policy. Make sure you clarify what is allowed under your BYOD policy, or you may find yourself flooded with more than you expected.

Don’t Skimp on Security

When it comes to personal devices, don’t let employees skip over security. If they want to be able to bring and use their own devices at work, they are going to be required to have complex passwords and lock screens on their devices. A simple swipe of the screen isn’t acceptable when a device contains crucial company and client information. And be sure to have a strict policy for an employee exit. You want to ensure your company and client information isn’t leaving with your employee.

Not All Apps are Allowed

With the threat of hackers, viruses and productivity reducers in today’s age, you can’t allow all apps on devices. These apps could put your company documents, files and other crucial information at risk. Not to mention your employee productivity could plummet in a hurry thanks to constant Facebook and Twitter updates. Limiting and monitoring the downloading of these apps can be difficult. So take the time to be sure which employees can be trusted for a BYOD policy.

Get a New Hire Up to Speed Using Videos

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Get a New Hire Up to Speed Using Videos

When it comes to onboarding a new employee, a majority of small businesses use a traditional approach like an Employee Handbook. The problem with this training process is that it generally offers little visual assistance and provides plenty of boredom.

Colleagues In DiscussionNumerous businesses have brushed aside the boredom and monotony of the handbook, in exchange for the fast-tracking process of onboarding new employees with the use of short videos. Here are some tips on why onboarding videos can help to bring your new employees up to speed in no time.

  1. Being Visual is Vital – We live in an age dominated by technology, and more importantly, gaining information through a video platform. With computers, smart phones and tablets dominating much of our time in and out of the office, people are accustomed to gaining information via videos.
  2. Built for Any Business – Are your employees not in a position where they are placed in front of a computer? No problem. You can email the training videos to your employees to allow them to watch it on their phone, computer and tablet, whether they’re at work or at home. On top of that, many programs allow you to monitor that the video has been opened and viewed, to ensure your employee is completing the training. No book will give you that perk.
  3. One Piece at a Time – Training videos are generally short, in the three to five minute range. This allows for training to be broken down and processed a piece at a time. This keeps employees from becoming overwhelmed and allows them to absorb the information a little at a time. This allows them to absorb and retain the information better than if you them read 50 pages.
  4. Quickly and Easily Explain Change – Studies have shown employees prefer to watch a short informational video over holding a live meeting. These short videos can give you the opportunity to inform employees of changes in everything from insurance policies to business processes.
  5. Speed Up Training Time – Using short videos to onboard new employees allows for you to save money and time on training. This allows for your new hire to up to speed and get to work faster. The videos also allow them to refer back to the information should they have any questions, instead of taking up the time of a coworker with questions.

4 Tips For Getting the Most Out of Your Technology Investment

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How many times have you purchased new software or hardware, and avoided the help menu or user manual? Experts reason that about 90 percent of all features included with software go unused! Much of this comes down to lack of training for individuals using the technology – they use what they know and need most, and avoid anything that would require study or practice to implement. It’s human nature to take the path of least resistance, but with a little motivation you could better benefit from the money spent on technology for your business.Instead of letting your technology investments continue on underutilized, here are 4 tips for getting the most out of your technology dollars:

1. Put the client in the driver’s seat of communication.

You can improve the quality of customer service offered by your company through the use of simple technology. The more connected you are to your clients, the happier they are with your work. Use technology to give your clients a way to initiate discussion with you, either through blog interaction or a discussion forum. Set up instant messaging so clients can contact appropriate staff members as necessary. It’s simple technology, but will result in improved client retention, repeat customers and better communication.

2. Create a business culture of continuous improvement.

One of the most amazing aspects of technology is how quickly it is updated and improved. Just when you think you have the best of the best, new technologies and processes are created to improve productivity. Even in the sometimes mundane office environments, new ideas will enhance efficiency and productivity. Encourage staff and consultants to let the new ideas flow – continuous improvement is the key for making the most out of your technology.

3. Take advantage of training opportunities.

If the cost of sending staff to training courses is a bit much, and you’re unable to conduct monthly training seminars on your own – consider bringing in vendors and experts whenever a new version of software is released. You can also have managed service providers deliver training virtually as needed, in order to keep your staff up to date with the programs and tools used in the office.

4. Internal email newsletters with tips.

Most businesses recognize the value of sending newsletters to their clients to keep in touch and establish relationships, but what about internal newsletters among staff members? Send a weekly email to your staff with a single technology tip that explains how to do something that will improve their productivity or make their lives a little easier. Keep it fun and add a cartoon or a quick quiz to keep the staff looking forward to their weekly newsletter. Your ideas for topics can come from training and seminars you attend, or from questions staff ask the IT department. If one person doesn’t

Data Backup: Are You Hoping For The Best?

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Data Backup: Are You Hoping For The Best?

Consider the “What If” Factor

Secure data backup for your business is an absolute must, but the real question is, what methods are you using? Although you may think you are taking extreme caution, such as saving data on multiple computers and physical drives, the scary truth is these items are still at risk for failing and leaving you helpless. While it may seem unlikely that your data backup computers and thumb drives would all fail or become lost at the same time, it has happened to many business owners before. Events such as burglary, fire other natural disaster are unlikely but still have the chance to occur. And the harsh reality of these events may not set in for you, until it’s simply too late.

What are the Chances

One example of these unlikely events becoming a reality is Bill Wiley of Computer Associates. Wiley took extensive measures to ensure the critical data of his company and his work were always backed up on two laptops and multiple thumb drives. However, these precautionary measures did Wiley little good on January 15, 2009, when his US Airways flight bound for Charlotte had to make an emergency landing that left both of Wiley’s laptops and his thumb drives floating at the bottom of the Hudson River. Furthermore, when Wiley’s computers and drives were brought up from the icy waters, they were held as “crash evidence” and he still hadn’t recovered them months after the crash.

Now compare Wiley’s experience with his fellow passenger, Paul Jorgensen. While Jorgensen was also panicked that his computer had met a watery end that fateful Thursday, he had his data backup on a cloud system and had fully recovered his files by that following Monday.

Don’t Leave Your Company’s Data to Chance

The lesson here is that you cannot simply rely on physical storage devices such as multiple computers and thumb drives for your data backup. While these are great “extra” data backup options, they shouldn’t be your main source. Offsite data backup storage systems, such as cloud services, provide the necessary safety net should your psychical storage options fail. The other key focus is to regularly check and monitor your backup systems. Ensure that all necessary data, files, applications and programs have been successfully backed up and test your restore process on a regular basis.

Why Your Company Needs An Internet Use Policy

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Internet PolicyWith computers and Internet access such an integral part of every business, and the Internet filled with everything from gambling to x-rated websites, it is critical that every business has an Internet use policy in place. This policy can help prevent your employees from accidentally or intentionally causing harm to your company or your company’s reputation. While you don’t want to give your employees the idea that they are living in George Orwell’s 1984, you want them to have a clear understanding of practices that are and are not appropriate during work hours. It is necessary for companies to create an Internet policy that everyone can live with.

Why Have An Internet Policy?

The purpose of a business is to make money. In order to accomplish this, the company has to have productive employees. The Internet can be a time drain and often prevent employees from being as productive as they should be. With such a wide range of information available on the Internet, it is necessary to clarify the company’s expectations of its employees regarding Internet access. With a strong policy in place, the employee, as well as the employer, will find Internet use less confusing and frustrating.

Another important reason to have a strong Internet policy is to save your company from unnecessary lawsuits. Unless you have a clear policy on what is and is not acceptable on the Internet in your company, you can risk having an unfair dismissal lawsuit on your hands when an employee is abusing the company’s Internet.

What Elements Should Your Internet Usage Policy Contain?

When planning your Internet use policy, it should contain certain key elements such as:

The company Internet is for company business only and to be used only during company business hours
All work done on company computers during business hours, including all emails, is company property and can be accessed by the employer at any time.
Establish what type of computer use is unacceptable such as accessing personal social media accounts, personal email, pornographic websites, etc.
Employees must refrain from accessing websites, creating, or forwarding email that promotes any type of discrimination such as racial or sexual discrimination, or that is defamatory or harmful towards another person or group.
Employees are not allowed to gain access to or attempt to access other employee’s computers, employee stored information, or any information unauthorized by the company.

In addition to the guidelines above, inform your employees that whatever is done by the company, for the company, and on the company computers should remain confidential and within the confines of the company. In addition, let employees know that when they access unapproved sites, they risk infecting the company computer system with viruses that could possibly shut down the entire company network.

Having an Internet use policy in place helps to eliminate any confusion and possible abuse that could prevent a company from functioning productively. A solid Internet use policy help to make the work environment more pleasant and more conducive to getting the necessary work done in order to have a successful business. Creating a safe and productive environment is important for any business, and one way to ensure that is to implement an Internet use policy.

Hang Up The Landline for VoIP

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Hang Up The Landline for VoIP

Considering the switch to a VoIP phone system? Not sure what advantages it will give you over a traditional land-line? Well, You’re not alone. A large number of business owners are making the switch from land-lines to VoIP phone systems for their business.

Don’t Break the Bank

What’s the number one reason for switching to a VoIP phone system? Cost! VoIP systems are surefire way to reduce the costs of phone services, especially if you are operating a business that has a large number of long distance or international calls for business purposes.

Keep Your Local Digits

There was a time when VoIP phone systems didn’t guarantee that you would be able to have a local phone number. That time has come and gone. There are numerous services now available that allow you to not just enjoy the cost friendly services of VoIP, but also allow you to keep a local phone number for it.

The Phone Will Ring No Matter Where You Are

VoIP also allows you the advantage of taking your phone service with you anywhere. When you leave the office, you calls and messages don’t have to stay behind. VoIP allows your IP phone to travel with you when you are traveling for business meetings, sales meetings or even vacation, although we don’t recommend taking too many calls during that last one.

Could Filing Cabinets Be Costing You Money?

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Go Green and Save Green

Our society is making a push to “Go Green” these days with an effort to reduce paper usage and making a push to utilize digital documentation. The fact is, this practice not only benefits the environment, but can also put a considerable amount of green back into your bank account. There is also the consideration that cluttered papers and documentation can cause time loss and data loss when they’re not properly stored and tracked. The easy solution to this problem is the simple implementation of a digital documentation system for your office. And the best part is, it won’t take long for you to start seeing the benefits!

Cut Down on Clutter and Save Office Space

Simply getting your staff into the habit of scanning documents and setting up an organized and simple storage system for your digital documents will considerably cut down on the clutter of paper documents on everyone’s desks and eliminate the need for filing cabinets that take up valuable office space.

Skip the Search

Save yourself and your employees from having to sort through folders and filing cabinets searching for the right document. By setting up a digital document system, everyone is a few quick clicks away from having exactly what they’re looking for.

Lost and Found

Organizing your documents into digital folders will prevent important contracts and invoices from being misplaced. Having these documents digitally saved eliminates the threat of having them get jumbled up with other papers and possibly being placed in the trash or a random drawer.

Disaster Recovery Plan

Having your digital copies of your documents protects you against the threat of disasters such as fire and water. Saving these documents on off-site servers and cloud systems allows you to be protected in the event of a physical loss due to an in office disaster.

Tech Tips: Is Your Data Backup Protected Against Storm Season?

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Tech Tips: Is Your Data Backup Protected Against Storm Season?

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

It’s that special time of year when the threat of fire, flood, severe storms, water damage and even theft are very real. This is why ensuring your company’s critical data is backed up and protected in the case of power loss or system damage. To help you protect your valuable business assets, here are a few simple tips:

  • Off Site Storage

    Backing up your data at an offsite location with dedicated and secure servers and cloud solutions is a must. While regularly backing up your data is crucial, many business owners only backup their files on in-house servers and hard drives. If those servers are damaged or those hard drives are stolen, you’ll quickly find yourself helpless. The easiest solution for this is having a system in place at another location.

  • Safe from the Surge

    Quality surge protectors are a simple but often overlooked solution to protecting your computers and data during storm season. Remember quality cannot be skipped here. Try opting for a high-quality surge protector combined with a power supply batter backup.

  • Head for High Ground

    Flooding is a real threat when it comes to severe storm season. This is why it’s very important to make sure your critical equipment such as servers are lifted off the floor. Server racks are inexpensive and can be easily installed to help minimize flood damage. This is also a situation in which cloud backup solutions can save the day.

  • Have a Plan

    Make sure you have a plan in place in case disaster does strike. You need to protect your business continuity and this means having a plan in place so employees and systems can continue to work and keep the business running no matter the situation. Make sure your staff knows where to go, who to call and how to access critical files, data and software.

What is the Cost of IT Support for Small Business?

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What is the Cost of IT Support for Small BusinessOne of the greatest challenges among small business owners today is making the decision about IT support and maintenance of the information system; whether to hire an in-house IT tech or to outsource IT support for their business. With the relatively recent availability of Managed Services for small business, the list of choices – and decisions – has grown once again.

The Greenville IT support experts at Carolina IT Group are constantly searching for ways to make the decision making process simpler and easier for you, the small business owner. To help you with that, today we will take a look at the IT support choices currently available, as well as some of the costs involved. (Although we have tried to give you some idea of the costs involved, please remember that these are merely estimates based on averages, and that the actual cost of IT support services can vary greatly, based on the needs of each business.)

Self-managed IT Support:

According to PayScale.com, the national median income for an in-house IT tech is currently running at a bit over $40,000 per year, with the upper end of that range reaching nearly $60,000 annually. For more experienced technicians, the median pay rate is above $46,000 annually, with the upper range much closer to $65,000 yearly. These pay ranges include salary, bonuses, and profit sharing for in-house employees, but do not include benefits, such as health insurance.

If we choose a salary of $45,000 for the purpose of this comparison, we must then add benefits, sick pay, vacation time, and your annual payroll tax. These will total approximately $13,000 a year. Purchasing an IT Management System application could easily set you back by $1000, plus training in the new application, which would likely cost about $2500 per user. The total for one-time expenses will range from $3500 to $10,000, depending on the number of user desktops involved. Total cost of salary and benefits for your new IT specialist would be about $58,000 per year, though it could be more.

Outsourcing your IT Support:

For many small business owners, outsourcing their IT support needs may seem extravagant due to the hourly rate that such companies charge. However, this type of support can be extremely cost-effective because of the expertise being purchased, the experience the techs who visit are able to offer, and the backup provided by the team that supports them. Further, as a small business owner, you should easily be able to budget for the monthly expense, based on the system evaluation and recommendations of the company you employ as your IT support team.

A responsible IT support company will always begin with an objective assessment of your information system, along with recommendations for the work they will perform to meet your needs. In other words, they will not “pad” the bill, but will only perform the tasks you request of them. This can greatly reduce the cost of IT support for your small business, rather than hiring an in-house tech and paying an annual salary, as discussed above.

Beyond this, a reputable IT support company will guarantee the expertise of the tech they send you. The tech will also possess a great deal more experience than an employee, as they deal with a variety of systems every day. In most cases, there will be little they have not seen, which will allow them to handle your specific needs more efficiently. Further, they will most likely assign a particular technician to your account, someone who will visit you regularly, allowing them to become intimately familiar with your information system and the needs of your business, and with whom you will build a relationship of trust over time.

Best of all, your service will always be hands-on, with a live human being in place to answer your questions.

The cost of this type of support can vary greatly, depending upon the age and number of servers and desktops being used in your organization. However, you will usually be able to save money by purchasing blocks of time in advance and only using the hours purchased on as as-needed basis. For the average small business, you should probably budget for something between $1000 and $2500 per month, a vast savings over hiring an in-house IT tech.

Managed Services IT Support:

With remote monitoring of your small business information system now available 24/7, 365, this option has become one of the more cost-effective and appealing choices among small business owners in today’s marketplace. For a flat rate monthly fee, business owners and IT managers can now purchase pro-active monitoring and maintenance of servers, desktops, and remote machines being used by their company. In addition to this, a business may also subscribe to this type of service in a graduated, piecemeal fashion; perhaps beginning with managed antivirus protection, then gradually adding email monitoring for spam and continuity, email archiving, desktop monitoring, mobile device monitoring, online data backup services, and more.

By using such a service, your small business will find it very easy to budget for them. Because of the flat rate subscription fee you will pay each month, there will be no budget-busting surprises. As each of the managed services you’re using begins to save you money, by reducing system downtime and increasing productivity, you’ll be able to add another layer of protection, without having to invest in expensive an all-in-one package.

The most important benefit of a managed services program is that it is fully automated and never rests. The system is working on your behalf 24/7, 365, monitoring and maintaining your information system even while you sleep. You will also receive notification of impending problems, allowing you to intervene before your system goes down.

Once again, the cost of a managed services package for your small business will have a number of determining factors. Beginning with the age of your equipment and software, as well as the number of machines and users, to the selection of the various management and maintenance services to which you subscribe, these will determine the monthly cost of your choices. A la carte services may begin for as little as $2-$15 per month per machine, and range upward from there. For the average small business, your monthly cost may range from $500 to $2000 per month for ‘round-the-clock protection of your information system, data, and workstations. You should consult with an IT support provider for more information on a managed services package features and costs.

IT Support Service Packages

For most of our Greenville small business clients, a combination of outsourcing their IT support to us, along with one of our proactive managed services packages has been the ultimate solution to their IT needs. This type of cost-effective combination of support services has provided them expert IT support when needed on-site, as well as the 24 hour protection of their information system that they need for their peace of mind. “It’s good to sleep again at night!” they tell us.

If this information has been helpful, and you would like to know more about how Managed Services and IT support service packages from Carolina IT Group could benefit you and your business, the IT experts at Carolina IT Group are here to help you with all of your Greenville IT support needs. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your IT service request for help with your operating system, apps, servers, VoIP system or any other IT issues you may have.

Contact Info

740 Greenville Blvd. SE., Ste. 400-374
Greenville, NC 27858

Phone: (252) 565-1235