Why is there not more concern about such simple issues shutting down the entire record keeping system?

> On Feb 20, 2015, at 12:00 AM, RECMGMT-L automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> From: PeterK <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
> Subject: Rideout’s digital record-keeping shuts down after HVAC issue
> 
> 
> Rideout Health officials are hoping the organization's electronic
> record-keeping system will be back online today after a burned-out heating
> unit caused it to shut down.
> 
> The incident last Friday affected Rideout's entire computer system —
> ranging from email to patient medical records. However, officials said
> there were no records lost nor any negative effect on patients.

In discussions about conversions to electronic record keeping, I think it is important for records managers to point out that storing tape offsite in a protected facility has resulted in 3 decades of high performance.

The flaw in this program is “what if the offsite storage center housing the tapes has a fire?"  If they are vaulted, then this might save the day. So it requires the records manager to tour facilities and perform risk management and have some familiarity with proper design of a records center.  A copy of NFPA 232 can guide you.

If you are looking at the online records storage then NFPA 75 which is the Standard for Server Rooms and Data Centers should be reviewed.

One reason I think that records managers have failed to really grasp the Information Governance role is there is no attempt to learn from these Standards and become the analyst that is required to review the capability of the electronic records sites to resist various threats.

For example, in the article above, they state there is no negative effect on patients. Well that is wrong!  This is PR weaving a story.  All of the patient appointments were canceled during this time.  Now the patient has to reschedule.  Procedures can be put off and then the rescheduling can takes weeks.  This is critical as lead times with doctors and hospitals are running at all time long lead times.  Patients will be negatively impacted.

The extreme cold in the Northeast is having an impact, pipes are freezing, power requirements are at all time highs and this impact data centers.  The Cloud and the web are impacted.  Just as Hurricane Sandy and the blizzard of the same time period shut down data centers.  The Cloud was impacted. The Internet went down because Verizon went down.

Magnetic Fields can impact these data centers and Russia and China are developing EMP’s. But do you hear about any risk managers or IG professionals looking at these risks?
Any impact to the power grid can shut down the data centers. This is a field where IG should be discussing how Electronic Records Management is affected by all of the potential threats.

The recent hacking of the health insurance company exposed 1/3 of Americans to identity theft. Ransomware is infecting more and more data centers.  But we do not hear about this in many regards because the Cloud Community does not want to show you their achilles heel.

Electronic records without tape back up is ridiculous; and, vital records should still be in hard copy as the duplicate copy unless there is an audit procedure to guarantee that the rotation of tapes does not corrupt each set with a hacked electronic database.

There are real opportunities for records managers to enter this arena and protect the organization. 

Peter and others provide these reference articles and RM’s could be printing them and placing them in a binder.  Then develop hard questions for IT about their Cloud?

All serious problems involve a cascade of events. To think that these recent hacks of Target, Anthem, Home Depot and a few others have basically given the bad guys every person identity and email information.

I believe we are more vulnerable than we have other been.  

And; if the government starts regulating the Internet, what problems will that develop? Certainly we can expect to see those lobbyists with the most power start changing the Internet to their advantage.  Records managers and IT cannot even predict all of these effects yet Big Data is pushing everyone onto the Electronic Records platform.  But where someone losing their paper records effected a few people and a whole records center during could effect thousands……   Now we have a system that is vulnerable and which can effect millions.  But no one seems to look at these risks?  How do you as a records manager guard your organization from such a huge threat?


Hugh Smith
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