Data is essential for healthcare organizations because it helps you make informed decisions. One tool that could help is Splunk. But since it has access to so much sensitive information, covered entities need to ensure that it meets the robust HIPAA security standards.
What is Splunk?
Splunk is a data platform designed to help businesses investigate, monitor, analyze, and act on their data.
Does Splunk have a business associate agreement?
HIPAA rules require business associates to sign an agreement outlining their responsibilities for protecting protected health information (PHI). This agreement is known as the business associate agreement (BAA) . Any third-party vendor that has access, transmits, or stores PHI is considered a business associate. If a business associate won't sign a BAA, covered entities shouldn't work with it.
READ MORE: The Complete Guide to HIPAA Violations
Splunk does have a BAA available, but it's not automatically included unless you specifically purchase the HIPAA cloud environment.
What is Splunk's data security?
Since Splunk will have access to much of your data, it's paramount that you configure security settings to meet HIPAA security requirements. With the Splunk Cloud Platform with a HIPAA environment, the following security features are included:
- Data at rest and in transit is encrypted using SSL
- Encryption keys are regularly rotated
- Covered entities must provide IP allow list rules
Is Splunk HIPAA compliant?
Yes, Splunk can be HIPAA compliant. Covered entities will need to purchase the HIPAA cloud environment and ensure a BAA is signed to stay compliant.
Keep your email security up to date
Email is a common way for unauthorized users to gain access to sensitive information because it's subject to human error. Sending HIPAA compliant email is critical to protecting patient data and your company's network. Paubox Email Suite Plus is the solution for your email security needs. It offers robust inbound security that stops threats like viruses, malware, and display name spoofing emails from entering a user's inbox. It also includes our latest security feature, Zero Trust Email, which authenticates mail servers and protects users from receiving phishing emails. Paubox also sends encrypted emails by default. Your employees will be able to use it easily since it can seamlessly integrate with your current email provider, including Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 . Your patients won't need to use patient portals to communicate with you since emails are securely sent to their inbox.