Using IBM Tivoli Identity Manager to Aggregate Email Notifications

We all struggle with our electronic mailboxes. For every email we receive, there is some portion of our day devoted to opening and processing these emails. There is also serious time spent just deleting unwanted emails.

Take this example. A manager has a number of contractors that she has reporting to her, let’s say about 30. Every three months, an automated email is sent for each contractor requesting the manager to confirm the contractor is still employed. This is just one email sent every quarter for 30 contractors. That’s 120 emails the manager has to process. This adds up to a lot a time for a busy person. Remember this is just one process. There are other processes out there waiting to fill up unsuspecting mailboxes.

IBM Tivoli Identity Manager (ITIM) has the ability to automatically generate the email notification and aggregate the contents so the manager would get only one email. Using ITIM Out of the Box Lifecycle Operations and Post Office features an email can be formatted that contains all the information that was previously contained in the 30 individual emails. Read more

EHR Stimulus Incentive

EHR technology is a medical software that can help your practice keep track of and treat patients more efficiently and effectively. Additionally, many of these technologies, when implemented correctly and used properly, are subject to government incentives, making them affordable to install.

With the Stimulus Incentive Calculator app for the iPhone, you can figure out how much you will earn by using certified EHR software. Using various factors, such as the size of your practice and the number of patients you see per year, this calculator can show you the incentives for which you may be eligible.

To learn more about the benefits of using EHR technology in your practice, contact PathMaker Group. We provide security solutions and identity management servicesw.

Visit our website or call (817) 704-3644.

Leveraging Centralized Log Management in a PCI DSS Environment

Enterprise environments generate vast amounts of log data on their own before even being required to meet PCI DSS section 10 logging requirements. When taking into account the volume of logs from the large variety of sources across a network it is important to find an effective and efficient manner to address this data. IT departments could easily dedicate one full time employee to this task alone when logs are decentralized across the organization and need to be reviewed, at times, on a daily basis. Admins also face the daunting task of having a working knowledge of the vast array of system interfaces used to access and review this data where it is stored by default. Obviously this configuration is highly inefficient as well as impractical. The only logical solution to meet the PCI DSS required logging volume as well as the review requirements is a centralized log management system. PathMaker Group offers such a solution, built on a SaaS platform, that can provide the necessary functionality, usability, and reporting that PCI DSS requires. Read more

How Can Hospitals and Medical Practices Meet the Requirements for “Meaningful Use” of Certified EHR Technology?

Advanced electronic health record (EHR) technology provides secure and accurate storage of patients medical records and health information that helps physicians offer complete medical care to their patients. Because of the added security that this technology offers, Medicare and Medicaid have implemented financial incentive programs for hospitals and medical practices for the meaningful use of EHR. Here are some guidelines for the parameters of meaningful use:

  • Meaningful users: EHR incentive regulations state that the only members to have access to the technology are those who will use it for the purpose of patient safety and efficient medical care.
  • Exchange of information: EHR technology allows medical offices to transfer information quickly and easily for the benefit of quality healthcare. Electronic information may be exchanged between doctors or used for e-prescriptions to ensure the safe distribution of medications.
  • Yearly demonstration of use: Successful demonstration of meaningful use by trained and qualified medical professionals is necessary in the first year of using EHR technology. These uses include prescription transfers, use of medical records in patient care, and accurate implementation of security features. Read more

Using IBM Tivoli Identity Manager to Synchronize HR changes to Active Directory

Imagine this scenario. An employee gets married and her last name changes. Human Resources receives the required documentation and updates the employee’s last name. Now that the W2 has been changed, how long will it take this change to get propagated to the email system? How many people will be involved? How many phones calls will be made wondering why the name hasn’t been updated? Shouldn’t there be a simpler process?

With IBM Tivoli Identity Manager (ITIM) this last name change can automatically be replicated to multiple ITIM controlled systems with just the change to HR and without the need of any more human intervention.

ITIM automatically detects the change to the person’s last name and then triggers name change updates to multiple ITIM controlled systems including Active Directory, LDAP and database repositories. These updates occur in real time and the new last name is available for all to see. Read more

Understanding the Basics of SOA Security

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a type of software design that allows applications to be integrated as services, allowing for easy management of a company’s operations. However, the level of integration that SOA provides is compromised by the use of standard security features that are traditionally embedded into individual applications. In order to make up for this security deficiency, companies are employing the use of specialized SOA security. The following are some of the features of SOA security that address typical vulnerabilities:

  • Content Validation: Specialized SOA security ensures that data is only received in the system by trusted users to prevent a forced error by SQL injection that exposes access information.
  • Time Stamps: Digitally signed security requests can be forged by replicating previously used messages that are valid for other services. Time stamping requests prevent this sort of infiltration.
  • JavaScript Protection: This is a defense that prevents hackers from using JavaScript to input data visible by users from the client end. System scans detect and remove these malicious scripts. Read more