Case Study: Proxy Servers

NOW F OR AN ORIGINAL PAPER ASSIGNMENT:Case Study: Proxy Servers

Proxy servers also protect the organizational network. Proxy servers prevent users from directly accessing the Internet. Instead, users must first request passage from the proxy server. The server looks at the request and makes sure the request is from a legitimate user and that the destination of the request is permissible. For example, organizations can block requests to view a website with the word “sex” in the title or the actual uniform resource locator of a known pornography site. The proxy server can also lend the requesting user a mask to use while he or she is surfing the Web. In this way, the corporation protects the identity of its employees. The proxy server keeps track of which employees are using which masks and directs the traffic appropriately.

With hacking becoming more common, healthcare organizations must have some type of protection to avoid this invasion. An intrusion detection system (both hardware and software) allows an organization to monitor who is using the network and which files that user has accessed. Detection systems can be set up to monitor a single computer or an entire network. Corporations must diligently monitor for unauthorized access of their networks. Anytime someone uses a secured network, a digital footprint of all of the user’s travels is left, and this path can be easily tracked by electronic auditing software.

Offsite Use of Portable Devices

Offsite uses of portable devices, such as laptops, tablets, home computing systems, smartphones, smart devices, and portable data storage devices, can help to streamline the delivery of health care. For example, home health nurses may need to access electronic protected health information (EPHI) via a wireless laptop connection during a home visit, or a physician might use a smartphone to get specific patient information related to a prescription refill in response to a patient request. These mobile devices are invaluable to healthcare efficiency and responsiveness to patient need in such cases.