Since the advent of penicillin and eventual demise of archaic blood-letting, medicine has made great strides into the future. From genome mapping to the $88K “robo-docs” used in the UK, (1) medicine is continually adding health and longevity to our years.

Tied in with these advances is our ability to connect with our physicians. According to a 2002 Harris Interactive poll, approximately 90% of adults with internet access would like to communicate with their doctors by email (2). Additionally, 37% of those would be willing to pay out-of pocket to communicate with their doctors online (3). If patients are seeking the next best thing to a house call, emailing your doctor could be just that.

Unfortunately, with the growth of phishing, malware, and spyware, accidental sending or forwarding a patient’s personal/private health information (PHI) could result in that identifying information being used in various sorts of fraud.

Protecting a patient’s PHI is a deep-rooted tenet within the medical profession. Laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensure that medical facilities and clinicians protect their patient’s PHI.

In a 2005 study 70% of Americans are concerned that their PHI could be disclosed as a result of weak data security (4). With each technological advance, both the medical field and patients must be aware of the severity of improper use of PHI. According to the Heath Privacy Project, a patient’s rights information site, one in five patients are victims of improper disclosure (5).

In spite of all these risks, patients continue to utilize email and the internet in order to seek out answers to various personal health questions.

Online resources such as WebMD’s Symptom Checker provides possible answers to patient maladies such as why their left leg is swollen. Others seeking medical information spend time at sites such as the American Diabetes Association, Alzheimer’s Association or Lupus Foundation, and other sites that are strictly devoted to specific health issues. Patients often research illnesses online and want to ask questions about their conditions after clinics are closed.

Advocates of a digital medical office are doctors Tom Delbanco, MD and Daniel Z. Sands, MD, MPH. Both are professors at Harvard Medical School and have stated that email as a clinician tool fosters a closer doctor-patient relationship. In a co-authored paper, they write:

“E-mail gives doctors and patients more time to think. Doctors and patients move closer together and trust grows strikingly. Interchange becomes more personal and office visits seem more efficient and less emotionally charged… And with time ‘off-line’ to reflect and learn, patients appear better able to grasp information that is central to their care.” (6)

“It’s a matter of both convenience and comfort level,” continues Dr. Delbanco, “There’s evidence that people tend to be more open in front of a computer, especially with tricky stuff.”

The internet has changed where and how patients seek the help of doctors and medical providers. Trends in patient internet behavior show that now is the opportune time for both patient and doctor to achieve a cooperative relationship via email and the internet. Creating the digital medical office is a true possibility, but measures need to be put into place to protect patients’ private health information and a clinic’s electronic medical records (ERM).

The e-medical caregiver can converse with his or her patients in a wide array of online communications tools, continuing the symbiotic relationship between doctor and patient. The Hippocratic Oath’s tenets of treatment, respect and privacy can be upheld as long as electronic security is also a priority to clinicians.

HIPAA compliance issues can often be frustrating to the small clinical practice. New government mandates are also putting regulatory procedures to the test, such as President Bush’s request that $125 million in 2006 go to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create common standards for digital health information by streamlining data and finding means to best protect patient privacy (7).

Investing in a Small Business Rights Management (SBRM) solution can bridge the gap between staying current with health industry regulations such as HIPAA or JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) and keeping a small physician practice in business. More importantly than compliance is the real protection of patient/client information, diagnosis/treatment communiqué, and medical billing information. Only the intended recipient will see this information when sent with tools that use encryption and rights management.

With SBRM solutions, a physician can apply the Hippocratic Oath’s creed of confidentiality and privacy by clinic visit or email.

1.) Julie Clothier, CNN Technology, “’Robo-doc’ works hospital rounds,” CNN.com 18 May 2005

2.) Harris Interactive, “Patients/Physician Online Communication: Many Patients Want it, Would Pay for It, and Would Influence their Choice of Doctors and Health Plans.” 10 April 2002,

3.) Ibid.

4.) “Majority of Americans Have Privacy Concerns about Electronic Medical Record System,” Health Privacy Project : http://www.healthprivacy.org/

5.) Health Privacy Project “Homepage Animation” http://www.healthprivacy.org. 29 September 2005.

6.) Health and Medicine Week / NewsRx.net Editor’s Choice Column, “TELEMEDICINE: Physicians, patients must work on new electronic relationships,” Health and Medicine Week, 5. 10 May 2004,

7.) Rick Callahan, The Associated Press Seattle Times, 23 May 2005

Schwarz is the director of corporate marketing at Essential Security Software (ESS), a provider of document and email security solutions. http://www.essentialsecurity.com

The world today is noisier than ever, and more pervasive. We are never alone –joggers have ipods to keep them company. We overhear bits of others phone conversations everywhere we go. A constant cacophony of information pours from a multitude of sources, some of it meant for you, some of it not.

We are migrating what used to be in private to the public world, with privacy no longer a given commodity. We have become a world under surveillance, by criminals, snoops and even our governing bodies. The price we pay is a creeping colonization of our privacy and a fundamental loss of personal security.

Nothing moves faster than the internet and email has become the preferred communications tool for those who want uninterrupted workflow, or those of us struggling to “stay in touch.” Currently, we have a Fast Food mentality towards email: speed versus quality becomes an issue. Replying to email in a timely manner often means having to respond to inputs more quickly with less time for thought, reflection, even accuracy. "You can’t make phone calls or personal visits to all your friends very often, but you can ‘cc’ them regularly with a couple of keystrokes. That turns out to be very important," said Jeffrey Boase, co-author of the Pew Internet and American Life Project’s report, "The Strength of Internet Ties" report which surveyed the importance of online communications in the lives of 60 million Americans. (1)

Communicating quickly is not necessarily the same as communicating effectively. There are trade-offs that comes with the speed and efficiency of email, the top concession being security and ultimately, privacy.

With increasing dependency on email (and the internet in general) as a tool for faster communication comes the need to recognize it’s security shortcomings.

Shortcomings of all unencrypted email accounts:
- All messages are sent in clear text, making any intercepted message readable to anyone.

Shortcoming of free email services, such as Yahoo or Hotmail:
- They archive your email online, making it far too easy for hackers to crack accounts and access contents.

Shortcoming of Internet Service Provider (ISP):
- Although an ISP service will transfer messages you open to your own hard drive, a hacker can still get access to all email you haven’t opened yet.

Shortcoming of Web Services such as Google:
- It is now well documented that these services store your browser histories interminably, making your entire search history available for the asking.
- Search engines are not fully shielded by the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act 2

We have had security issues for as long as we have had computers, and even today most computers do not have enough safeguards built in. Human management overhead can be expensive and complex, and inevitably there will be mistakes as well as ever evolving compliance issues to keep up with. The answer is to apply some intelligence and implement security products that will reduce the risk of error, products that can be effectively managed as assets of any business. Adopting a security solution creates a policy of preparedness versus reactionary scrambling in response to email incidents.

1.) "Internet serves as ’social glue’" BBCNews.com, 26 January, 2006, http://www.bbc.co.uk

2.) News.com’s article on their Google FAQ: http://news.com.com/FAQ

Schwarz is the director of corporate marketing at Essential Security Software (ESS), a provider of document and email security solutions. http://www.essentialsecurity.com

The days of riding horseback through the wilderness to deliver a message are over. But make no mistake; we’re not out of the woods yet. The digital world exposes us all to a virtual wilderness. Email offers simplicity to both the messenger and the malevolent.

Email has grown in vitality, now becoming the most important communication tool in the corporate world. The perpetuation of emerging threats has transformed email from an asset to a liability. Gone are the days when organizations could manually cope with the occasional email-borne nuisance. Email security has become a necessity and organizations must know the best way to ensure the integrity of their email network.

Perhaps an even greater threat to your organization’s effectiveness is an over-investment in an under-effective email security solution. Organizations must seek a comprehensive, future-proof solution on a platform that integrates flawlessly with their current infrastructure.

The email security market is not bound by in-house software or hardware solutions. Organizations can push the war against spam, viruses, and other email borne threats outside of their network using a managed service.

What is a managed service?

Unlike software and appliance solutions, a managed email security solution sits entirely outside of your network. With a quick change of your organization’s Mail Exchange (MX) records, mail is routed through the managed service, effectively filtering your email and delivering only genuine messages to your network. Such an infrastructure offers a number of benefits over traditional appliance and software security measures.

Benefits

Instant Deployment

Since a managed service introduces no hardware or software into your infrastructures, deployments typically consist of only a simple MX record change. Moreover, managed solutions come pre-configured to maximize effectiveness with minimal user intervention.

Zero Maintenance

Updates to hardware and software are a necessary evil that demands time and money. This is especially true with security technology in order to stay ahead of new threats. But a managed service introduces absolutely no hardware or software into your infrastructure. All updates are performed by the managed service transparently to the end-user.

Failover / Redundancy

Implementing a redundant infrastructure is rarely cost-effective, especially in small to medium businesses. Yet, downtime is never acceptable. Deploying a managed solution is your ticket to enterprise-class reliability, without expending financial resources to integrate a redundant network infrastructure.

Disaster Recovery

Internal network and hardware glitches that compromise the availability of your email are inevitable. During downtime, not only is productivity lost, but also data which can cost your organization countless dollars. With a managed service, your email is queued during downtime. After connectivity is re-established, your email is promptly delivered to you. Organizations which deploy managed email security are able to focus solely on regaining connectivity, without worrying about lost messages during downtime.

Scalability

A managed service allows organizations the flexibility to grow without investing in additional information technology. Organizations with multiple geographic locations must purchase, implement, and maintain a software or hardware solution in each location that has a mail server. However, geographically dispersed organizations can be wholly controlled through a managed service, without any additional investments, installation, or maintenance.

Bandwidth Savings

Quality hardware and software solutions can effectively halt the flow of junk messages into end-users’ inboxes. However, these junk messages still reach the perimeter of your network. Bandwidth is required to analyze all messages, and messages that are quarantined must be downloaded and stored. With a managed solution, only genuine messages reach your network. Spam, viruses, fraud, and malicious email messages are stopped before they approach your organization’s perimeter.

Complete Threat Protection

There’s much more to email security than spam and virus protection. Directory harvesting, mail bombs, phishing, dictionary attacks, and many other threats assault vulnerable organizations each day, causing countless dollars in damage and lost productivity. Most appliances and software solutions are only a piece of the email security puzzle.

More importantly, with a managed service you have professionals maintaining your email’s security. Spam, viruses, and other email nuisances are growing more sophisticated, and require more sophisticated technology and know-how to combat them. A managed service supplies organizations with access to comprehensive technology and wisdom.

Future-Proof

Anti-spam technology, like no other, has an uncanny ability to lose effectiveness after a year or two. This is because spam is constantly changing, while your software and hardware is staying the same.

Spam is also growing in volume. A few years ago, you may have been receiving an average of ten spam messages a day. A spam solution with a 90% capture rate would catch all but one. Today, however, many users are receiving tens, even hundreds of junk messages a day. More intelligent software is needed to stop these additional messages, without misclassifying genuine ones.

A managed solution’s core competency is to stay ahead of email threats. Thus, organizations are always plugged in to a cutting edge solution.

Platform Independent

Regardless of your organization’s preferred OS and Mail Transfer Agent (MTA), a managed service can integrate easily into your infrastructure. Even organizations that utilize several operating systems and MTAs can quickly fit under the umbrella of a managed solution.

Low TCO / Quick ROI

Software and hardware solutions can rope you in with a large, non-refundable, upfront investment, and annual recurring fees. On the other hand, a managed solution is typically subscription-based, which can be cancelled at any time for a pro-rated refund. With a lower upfront outlay and minimal maintenance, organizations can realize a return on their investment in much less time with respect to traditional email security platforms.

Take Control of Your Email Network

Managed email security takes the burden off your budget and overworked IT staff and places it on the spammers. A managed service makes email what it was meant to be - an effective, hassle-free, business communication tool.

Spam Spy, LLC is an innovative provider in managed email security services. For more information on managed email security, visit http://www.spamspy.com (c) 2006 Spam Spy, LLC. All rights reserved.

Computers have simplified millions of people’s lives. With the advent of online technology we can be more productive in the office, organize household matters, and communicate with others around the globe. Do you ever think it’s all too good to be true? Well, you’d be smart to question the overall ease and efficiency of the web. The sad truth is, along with these perks there are a few major pitfalls. And if you aren’t aware of them now, you may be in for a rude awakening.

So many people get excited about the wide-reaching possibilities of an email system. Indeed, it is staggering to think about how you can connect with someone on the other side of the world with just a click of a button. Unfortunately, however, sometimes by clicking the mouse you are doing more than reaching out to a faraway friend. You may also be inviting email viruses and scams into your mailbox.

What is spam anyway?

Email spam is also called unsolicited bulk email - like junk mail in your computer system. In other words, it is email that you have not asked to receive. When we say "bulk email," we are usually referring to one message that is sent to more than 200 email recipients at a time.

How is spam targeted?

Basically, if you participate in any newsgroups, forums, or post your email address on a personal or professional website, you can be targeted for spam. A spam mailing list will be created by combing electronic newsgroups and mailing lists, or by conducting a broad address search online via "spambots" that roam the net collecting email addresses.

What is phishing?

Phishing is a relatively new form of email scam and it’s a serious one. What it refers to is an email that claims to be from a legit corporation (like Citibank, PayPal, eBay etc.), but it is really a spoof. Phishing can be tough to spot because it can look pretty slick. The email will come with a return address, a logo or a brand that seems on the up-and-up, links to other sites etc. But whoever is behind the scam is trying to get your financial info and rip off your identity. Studies show that 5% of the people who receive these fake emails respond to the "phisher."

Now that you know what these terms mean, how can you avoid dealing with them?

Clearly, the answer is with an expert email security system. No doubt, new scams will be popping up before you know it. We haven’t even discussed the horrors of email "worms" and "viruses."

What can be done?

• Use a web host with a secure email system that will control spam, maintain your privacy, and protect you from email viruses. A good web host believes that all individuals have the right to send and receive secure emails around the clock.
• The first step is to monitor the spam that comes into your email mailbox and then report any scams to the Anti-Spam League or the Anti-Phishing Working Group.
• Be wary of any emails that ask you for your personal information, especially financial details. Do not give out your credit card or bank account info unless you are on a secure server.
• Be wary of email attachments. When in doubt, don’t open them!
• Make a point of checking your account balances online to see if there are any sudden withdrawals that you did not authorize.
• Use anti-virus software and be sure to update it regularly (such as Microsoft patches).
• Think about installing a web browser tool bar that will alert you if a known spammer or phisher is trying to reach you (such as Earthlink ScamBlocker or eBay’s tool bar).

Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for ApolloHosting.com. She brings years of experience as a small business consultant to helping prospective clients understand the ways in which a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, vps hosting, and web design services to a wide range of customers. Established in 1999, Apollo prides itself on the highest levels of customer support.