Built-In Protection In Laptop PCs Improves Compliance With New Healthcare Rules

In the healthcare industry, keeping patient data secure is not just a challenge, it is a legal necessity. Loss and theft of laptops makes sensitive data vulnerable. Worse, an unauthorized user might use a lost or stolen laptop to access the hospital’s computer systems. Healthcare organizations must also comply with increasingly stringent regulations, such as HIPPA and HITECH, to protect patient data and privacy. Compounding the problem is that with more mobile workers, healthcare organizations also need to be able to secure confidential data even when systems are off-site and/or not connected to a network.

Enter Absolute Software’s Computrace,*,1 with Intel® Anti-Theft Technology (Intel® AT).2 An industry leader in security solutions, Computrace delivers a robust solution for tracking assets, performing remote data wipes after a theft, and recovering stolen assets. Intel AT enhances Computrace with timers and poison pills that allow IT to use automated policies to lock down a PC – whether the laptop is on or off the hospital network, and even if the OS is re-imaged, the hard drive is replaced, or the boot order is changed to a different device (such as a USB key, CD, DVD, or another hard drive). When activated, the anti-theft responses block the boot process regardless of the boot device, and render the laptop a “brick” without destroying the data. This protects the system while retaining the data. To reactivate a system that was locked down, the user simply enters a strong, one-time passphrase in the preboot reactivation screen, and the system is returned to its normal working state. Rapid response and recovery is a key advantage for healthcare professionals who might need to quickly continue work once a laptop is recovered. It also allows hospitals to act rapidly to protect patient records, while gaining the time needed to conduct a thorough investigation into the extent of a potential breach.

Download this white paper below to read more.