Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): Computer Security

Computer security in healthcare refers to the measures and practices used to protect sensitive and confidential information, such as patient medical records, from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. It is a critical component of healthcare information technology (IT) and is essential to maintaining patient privacy, confidentiality, and trust.

Examples of computer security in healthcare include:

Data encryption, which uses mathematical algorithms to scramble data so that it can only be read by authorized parties who have the decryption key.

Firewalls, which are software or hardware systems that act as a barrier between a healthcare organization’s computer network and the Internet, and are used to block unauthorized access and protect against hacking and other cyber attacks. Access controls, which are used to restrict access to sensitive data and systems to only authorized users, such as healthcare providers and staff.

Antivirus and anti-malware software, which are used to detect and remove malware, such as viruses, Trojans, and ransomware, that can damage or steal sensitive data.

Network security, which refers to the protection of the organization’s computer network, devices, and systems that are connected to it, from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

Computer security in healthcare is essential to protect patient privacy and confidential information, as well as to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. It is also important to comply with regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and to have disaster recovery and business continuity plans in place.