While RightFax helps encrypt messages to increase security, this encryption alone is not enough to outright prevent HIPAA violations from occurring.
Why is this?
Because despite the security provided by your fax server, one heavily influential variable always remains: the user. Many of the top causes of HIPAA violations comes from user error. From intentional cases of privilege misuse to accidental access issues, the user is the root cause of many HIPAA violation cases. It’s up to businesses to use RightFax correctly in order to minimize compliance issues.
Here are a few ways RightFax helps you accomplish this:
Use Cover Sheets
RightFax allows users to easily add cover sheets to any outgoing faxes. A quick tutorial on adding a cover sheet to your outbound faxes can be found here.
Verify Fax Receiving Numbers and Recipients
Although cover sheets can deter unwanted users from viewing faxes, you can never guarantee that a person will discard a fax that is not intended for them. One of the largest sources of user errors when faxing involves sending faxes to incorrect fax numbers.
When sending a fax using RightFax, users should verify in FaxUtil that the fax number they sending the message to is correct.
Frequently Update User Access
For incoming faxes, organizations can set user access to ensure that only people who are verified can see faxes and download files from them. If you are using the RightFax Enterprise Suite, you will even be able to use ModUser, a Windows-based utility that allows administrators to change RightFax permissions and options for multiple users at one time.
A detailed tutorial on how to change user permissions can be found here. If you frequently work with contractors who are temporarily given access to your fax server, it’s a good idea to update their permission status or revoke it once they are no longer working with your organization.
Monitor Fax Status
RightFax allows you to monitor the status of sent faxes to ensure they are delivered. You can also receive notifications of transmission status and track fax activity across your server. Monitoring faxes allows organizations to cut down on failed deliveries, fraud, and other fax issues that can potentially result in HIPAA violations.
Using the RightFax Alerting and Monitoring service, you can select statistics you want to monitor and as needed and define alerts when certain conditions are met. For a quick tutorial on how to install and use this functionality, view our video on RightFax University.
Disclaimer: this is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended to be used as legal advice. Please consult with an attorney for any matter involving compliance with HIPAA regulations.
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