February 25, 2018
Is IBM Cloud HIPAA compliant? Is the cloud platform appropriate for healthcare companies in the United States to introduce infrastructure, develop health applications and store files? In this post, we evaluate whether the IBM Cloud favors HIPAA compliance and the platform’s suitability for use by healthcare companies.
IBM offers a cloud platform to assist companies develop their mobile and web facilities, create native cloud apps, and host their infrastructure together with a wide variety of cloud-based facilities for the capture, analysis, and handling of data.
The platform has already been implemented by several healthcare suppliers, payers, and health plans, and applications and portals have been created to provide patients with better access to their health information.
IBM Cloud Safety
IBM is a front-runner in the field of network and data safety, and its skill has meant its cloud platform is highly protected. Safety is built into the core of all of the company’s software and facilities to make sure that confidential data remains confidential and can’t be retrieved by illegal people. Its audit and safety reports are made available to its customers to evaluate during risk analysis and risk management procedures.
Business Associate Agreement for the IBM Cloud Platform
Since 2014, IBM has been offering its cloud facilities to healthcare customers and has been entering into business associate agreements for its social, mobile, meetings, and mail cloud offerings.
IBM’s business associate agreements include the IBM Cloud and detail its duties for safety, including technical and physical controls in its data centers, allowed uses and disclosures of PHI, use of subcontractors, and its reporting requirements in the occurrence of a safety breach.
Healthcare clients should make sure they have a signed copy of the business associate agreement from IBM prior to any IBM cloud facilities are used in conjunction with safeguarded health information.
IBM also offers HIPAA protected units and their business associates facilities to assist them organize their cloud applications properly and create proper secrecy and safety solutions.
Is the IBM Cloud HIPAA Compliant?
Is the IBM Cloud HIPAA compliant? IBM meets its duties as a business associate by making sure its cloud platform meets and surpasses the minimum requirements of the HIPAA Safety Law and IBM agrees to follow the HIPAA Secrecy Law and Breach Notice Law.
IBM will enter into a business associate agreement with HIPAA protected units including the IBM Cloud, Therefore the IBM Cloud can be considered a HIPAA compliant cloud platform.
Nevertheless, HIPAA compliance is a shared duty. IBM only provides the safety and the tools to make sure its cloud platform can be used without violating HIPAA Laws. It’s the duty of HIPAA-covered units to make sure that cloud-based infrastructure and applications are not misconfigured, and that stored files are properly safeguarded.
