A new security certification for the healthcare sector is aiming to provide a gold standard for those handling sensitive data in the UK’s NHS. The HealthCare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPP) standard has been put together by information security body ISC² as a means of providing an industry-wide qualification for those handling sensitive data. ISC said the need for such a qualification has come about as growing amounts of sensitive digital data is being collected by healthcare organizations. The changes that are going on in healthcare, such as the move to go paperless and rising cloud use, means there is real need for this type of standard, according to the group. The course sets out to cover main areas that affect the collection, storage and use of data that healthcare professionals need to ensure they are fully competent on. Furthermore, given that people often receive treatment outside their home country, the standard covers issues of cross-border data transfers. ISC² said this should add another element to the certification to ensure those who sit the test are at the top of their game.
