Nearly 15,000 users authenticate with RSA SecurID® software to gain access to confidential healthcare information
Bedford, MA— RSA Security Inc. (NASDAQ: RSAS), the most trusted name in e-security®, is working with Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation to provide Siemens customers with security solutions that authenticate authorized users and govern access to its software applications hosted from Siemens’ Malvern, PA-based information services center. Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services, one of the healthcare industry’s leading suppliers of information technology solutions, is an application service provider (ASP), hosting healthcare applications such as registration, financial and clinical systems to more than 1,000 health organizations.
Siemens is providing RSA SecurID® authenticators to more than 11,000 users of its healthcare systems, offering them secure Internet access to mission-critical applications and patient information hosted by Siemens. Siemens is also using RSA SecurID authenticators for more than 4,000 internal employees to securely access corporate applications in conjunction with their Cisco virtual private network (VPN), helping to ensure only authorized users gain entry to networks and confidential healthcare information. The information is all managed by RSA ACE/Server® 5.0 software, a robust authentication server that is designed to scale to protect remote access, VPN and e-business applications across the enterprise.
“Healthcare organizations are being pressured to operate more efficiently while at the same time adhering to strict security and privacy standards,” said Bill LaBriola, product manager Internet services at Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services. “More and more are turning to companies like ours to meet these dual objectives.”
The ASP model is designed to allow virtual integration of multiple applications across disparate locations, providing real time access to systems and information from doctors in Boston to clinicians in Seattle. Healthcare workers can also use secure e-mail to communicate with labs and patients, and hospitals and labs can automate processes with suppliers.
“We needed a solution that would provide us with secure two-factor authentication in the ASP environment,” LaBriola added. “RSA Security’s presence in the healthcare industry as well as the scalability, ease of administration and ease of deployment of the robust RSA ACE/Server 5.0 software made it an obvious choice.”
Following the signing of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996, healthcare organizations were encouraged to upgrade their health information systems to comply with the standards set for secure electronic transmission of certain patient information. For healthcare organizations, security of patient medical information is now mandated by federal legislation.
“Keeping business and patient records secure in a connected environment is a challenge,” said John Worrall, vice president of product marketing at RSA Security. “As healthcare organizations continue to deploy advanced communications technology to reduce costs and streamline business processes, they are realizing that solid information security solutions are required - not just to comply with HIPAA regulations, but to conduct e-business with confidence. By teaming with leading healthcare ASPs like Siemens, RSA Security is enabling healthcare organizations to provide efficient, cost-effective access in a secure environment that protects patient confidentiality.”
RSA SecurID software is the world’s leading two-factor user authentication solution, relied upon by thousands of organizations worldwide to protect valuable network resources. RSA SecurID software requires users to identify themselves with two unique factors — something they know, such as a password, and something they have, such as a token — before they are granted access. Each end user is assigned a RSA SecurID token which generates a new, unpredictable code every 60 seconds. The user combines this number with a secret PIN to log into protected resources. The RSA SecurID solution was recently presented with the 2002 Information Security magazine excellence award in the authentication category for superior technology.
About RSA Security Inc.
RSA Security Inc., the most trusted name in e-security, helps organizations build trusted e-business processes through its RSA SecurID two-factor authentication, RSA ClearTrust® Web access management, RSA BSAFE® encryption and RSA Keon® digital certificate management product families. With approximately one billion RSA BSAFE-enabled applications in use worldwide, more than 12 million RSA SecurID authentication users and almost 20 years of industry experience, RSA Security has the proven leadership and innovative technology to address the changing security needs of e-business and bring trust to the online economy. RSA Security can be reached at www.rsasecurity.com.
About Siemens
Siemens Medical Solutions (Med) of Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) with headquarters in Iselin, NJ, and Erlangen, Germany, is one of the largest suppliers of healthcare equipment in the world. Med is renowned for its innovative products, services and complete solutions, ranging from imaging systems for diagnosis and therapy equipment for treatment, to electromedicine and hearing instruments to IT solutions that optimize workflow and increase efficiency in hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices. Siemens also offers a variety of data management solutions for customers and is currently the premier Application Service Provider. Employing approximately 30.000 people worldwide, in fiscal 2001 (September, 30), Med reported sales of 7.2 billion EUR, orders of 8.4 billion EUR and EBITA of 808 million EUR. More information can be obtained through the company´s website www.siemens.medical.com.
An integrated part of Siemens Medical Solutions, Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation, Malvern, Pa, (www.smed.com) offers a broad- range of clinical, financial, and management applications, and outsourcing and professional services to support health providers across the continuum of care. As the premier ASP in healthcare, the company operates applications for over 1,000 health providers, processing 107 million transactions daily.
