{"id":1878,"date":"2012-04-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-04-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/otava.test\/two-factor-authentication-to-meet-hipaa-and-pci-compliance\/"},"modified":"2012-04-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-04-25T00:00:00","slug":"two-factor-authentication-to-meet-hipaa-and-pci-compliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.otava.com\/blog\/two-factor-authentication-to-meet-hipaa-and-pci-compliance\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-Factor Authentication to Meet HIPAA and PCI Compliance"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span>What is Two-Factor Authentication?<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

The simplest example may be the use of an ATM\/debit card – this combines two factors; one is something you own<\/em> (the card) and the other is something you know<\/em> (the PIN).<\/p>\n

Employees and other users may need to log into a private network to access data from a remote location, using a VPN (virtual private network). In this scenario, one authentication factor includes logging into a web-based system with a username and password.\u00a0The second authentication factor may include the use of a cell phone – with a smartphone, you can register your phone number with the system and receive a request to approve.<\/p>\n

Or, by using a passcode via text message, you can log into the system with the randomized numbers sent to your phone. You can even answer a phone call and press a key in order to authenticate you are the authorized account holder.<\/p>\n

There are other authentication factors that can be used – for example, biometrics requires something specific to you, from a fingerprint to voice recognition. Or, you can use something physical you own, like a keyfob.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Who’s Using Two-Factor Authentication?<\/span><\/h3>\n

One well-known example of a company using two-factor is Google – they’ve implemented their version called “2-step verification” for Google account holders. After signing into your account with your email address and password, Google requires you to enter a verification code sent to you via text message or generated by your smartphone.<\/p>\n

\"Google's
Google’s 2-Step Verification<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Any organization concerned about security should consider implementing two-factor authentication for their VPN<\/a> (virtual private network), regardless of their compliance requirements. Two-factor authentication lowers your risk of a data breach caused by unauthorized remote access to sensitive data. If you use your cellphone as a means of secondary authentication, consider an alternative method to text messaging, as weaknesses in the cellular network can cause <\/strong>messages to be intercepted<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>PCI DSS Compliance Requirements<\/span><\/h3>\n

Two-factor is required by PCI compliance<\/a>. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandate that organizations who “hold, process, or pass cardholder information” meet a minimum level of security. Part of this security is protecting remote access logins with strong authentication. PCI requirement 8.0 states organizations must assign a unique ID to each person with computer access.<\/p>\n

Specifically, section 8.3 requires organizations to implement two-factor authentication for remote access to the network by employees, administrators, and third parties.\u00a0To achieve compliance with this requirement, you should use technologies such as remote authentication and dial-in service (RADIUS) or terminal access controller access control system (TACACS) with tokens; or other technologies that facilitate two-factor authentication.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Two-Factor Authentication for HIPAA Compliance<\/span><\/h3>\n

Two-factor authentication is also recommended in order to meet HIPAA compliance<\/a>, as it adds an extra layer of security that can prevent unauthorized access.<\/p>\n

A recent article from ModernHealthcare.com demonstrates the need for strong authentication <\/a>in the healthcare industry. The Privacy and Security Tiger Team of the Health IT Policy Committee is proposing rules for Stage 2 meaningful use that will govern security recommendations to authenticate the identity of patients as they log into their patient portals to download or view their personal health records.<\/p>\n

While the policy committee intends to propose a rule requiring at least single-factor authentication while accessing records via a patient portal, two-factor authentication can offer significantly more security with minimal effort and cost.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Related Resources<\/span><\/h3>\n

Read our Quick Tech Tutorial about two factor authentication<\/a> for further information.<\/p>\n

For more information about HIPAA compliance, visit our HIPAA resources<\/a> or download our free HIPAA white paper<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Find other PCI compliant resources here<\/a>. Watch this webinar or read the transcript, PCI Compliance: Detailed Requirements<\/a>, for a comprehensive overview of the required technology to achieve PCI DSS compliance.<\/p>\n

References:
\nPCI DSS 3.2 Requirements and Security Assessment Procedures <\/a>(PDF)
\nDefender 5: The Right Way to Prove, Identify and Establish Trust from Quest Software<\/a>
\n Federal Privacy Work Group Wants EHRs to Verify Patient ID<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is Two-Factor Authentication? The simplest example may be the use of an ATM\/debit card – this combines two factors; one is something you own (the card) and the other is something you know (the PIN). Employees and other users may need to log into a private network to access data from a remote location, using a VPN (virtual private network). In this scenario, one authentication factor includes logging into a web-based system with a username and password.\u00a0The second authentication factor may include the use of a cell phone – with a smartphone, you can register your phone number with the system and receive a request to approve. Or, by using a passcode via text message, you can log into the system with the randomized numbers sent to your phone. You can even answer a phone call and press a key in order to authenticate you are the authorized account holder. There are other authentication factors that can be used – for example, biometrics requires something specific to you, from a fingerprint to voice recognition. Or, you can use something physical you own, like a keyfob. Who’s Using Two-Factor Authentication? One well-known example of a company using two-factor is Google…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,48],"tags":[214,83,100,159,78],"other_category":[],"class_list":["post-1878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-compliance","category-cybersecurity","tag-2fa","tag-cybersecurity","tag-hipaa-compliance","tag-pci-compliance","tag-two-factor-authentication"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTwo-Factor Authentication to Meet HIPAA and PCI Compliance | OTAVA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Any organization concerned about security should consider implementing two-factor authentication for their VPN to lower the risk of a data breach.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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