Trivalent Unveils Next-Generation Data Protection System

On the heels of an explosion in the number of health information technology (IT) data breaches, a next-generation data protection system is being presented today at the 2017 meeting of the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) that promises to keep data secure even if hackers try to penetrate data on mobile or laptop devices.

Trivalent Protect, a new offering from Trivalent, said in a statement it offers a “seamless” and “scalable” way to protect data that is compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 10, without “full disk” methods. It calls its proprietary process "Data Alchemy," which it said provides file encryption, data shredding, and storage that alters the data properties in a way that makes them unusable to hackers. Trivalent said the design is certified by the National Information Assurance Partnership.

Breaches are a growing problem. A patient’s healthcare data is considered more valuable to hackers than a bank account number because the data are richer and can be more fully exploited.

A 2015 survey found that 80% of health systems had been affected by some kind of breach, making accreditation and security higher priorities for regulators. A huge breach of Anthem, reported in February 2015, affected more than 90 million people.

Things were no better last year either. In 2016, there were 316 reportable healthcare data breaches, which means that 500 or more people were affected. In fact, more than 17% of all the health IT breaches that have been reported since CMS began tracking them occurred last year.

According to a statement, Trivalent Protect is designed to block potential breaches at multiple points, including theft or loss of a mobile device or a laptop. Both health information and personal identifiers are protected in connected and disconnected modes, according to the statement.

Trivalent Protect will be presented at HIMSS in both an on-site demonstration Tuesday and through post-meeting trials, as well as a webinar set for March 22, 2017.