Tom’s Tuesday Tech Tip: Hey You, Keep Outta My Cloud!
Certified Legal Nurse Consultants are hearing a lot about the so-called “cloud.” Many of my CLNC® amigos have asked me to explain what it is, how they can get a piece of it and do they really want to.
Here’s a short and sweet explanation: the “cloud” is remote, often distributed, storage. It’s a way of keeping data in a location that is not on your computer, but is on a remote server, or redundantly distributed across any number of remote servers. You can access your data and even your desktop from anywhere. Google’s Chromebook is the best example of the future. It’s a laptop computer that stores everything – email, documents, photos, etc., in the cloud which may keep you from working when you can’t get online to get to your data.
The so-called cloud presents security issues that are still being sorted out – issues such as: how safe is the data, who really has access and most importantly, how redundant is it?
We interact with the cloud everyday – we just don’t recognize it. Soon we’ll all be in the cloud all day, every day – whether we want to be or not.
2 thoughts on “Tom’s Tuesday Tech Tip: Hey You, Keep Outta My Cloud!”
In my research as a quality control nurse in my “other” job, I am reading about cloud providers who are not HIPAA compliant. You have to ask questions. Unfortunately, my research did not uncover exactly what questions to ask. But most issues have to do with what the cloud storage providers do to protect the information from getting hacked, e.g.,. do they encrypt the data, and how is that data accessed. The most important point was that just because a cloud storage provider offers the service, doesn’t mean they are HIPAA compliant, and you as the user will be held responsible for your subcontractors.
I just completed an iCloud class at my local MAC store and the best description of iCloud is that it is a synchronizing tool with rather limited space. It is not for storage but intended to sync information. Leaves me wondering…..security is a major concern.
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*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
Keep on techin’,
In my research as a quality control nurse in my “other” job, I am reading about cloud providers who are not HIPAA compliant. You have to ask questions. Unfortunately, my research did not uncover exactly what questions to ask. But most issues have to do with what the cloud storage providers do to protect the information from getting hacked, e.g.,. do they encrypt the data, and how is that data accessed. The most important point was that just because a cloud storage provider offers the service, doesn’t mean they are HIPAA compliant, and you as the user will be held responsible for your subcontractors.
I just completed an iCloud class at my local MAC store and the best description of iCloud is that it is a synchronizing tool with rather limited space. It is not for storage but intended to sync information. Leaves me wondering…..security is a major concern.