Censinet Delivers First Healthcare Industry Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Workflows for Research & Institutional Review Boards
Post Summary
Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB is a cybersecurity risk management solution tailored to healthcare research and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), ensuring patient data is protected and compliance requirements are met.
Research projects often handle sensitive patient data (PHI) but lack proper oversight or cybersecurity expertise, leaving them vulnerable to breaches and risks.
It automates IRB risk assessments, replacing outdated manual processes with workflows that assess and manage risks tied to the sharing of patient data with researchers.
Benefits include: • Unified platform for IT vendor, product, and IRB risk assessments. • Enhanced protection for patient data shared in research studies. • Streamlined workflows that save time and reduce risk.
Visit Censinet.com/riskops-demo-request to request a live demo.
Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB Eliminates Antiquated, Risk-Prone or Non-Existent Approaches to Protecting Patient Data
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – June 29, 2021 – Censinet, the leading provider of healthcare IT risk solutions, today announced a significant expansion of its Censinet RiskOps platform with the formalized introduction of intelligence and workflows that address the cybersecurity requirements of healthcare research, including research overseen by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). Under FDA regulations, an IRB is an appropriately constituted group that has been formally designated to review and monitor biomedical research involving human subjects.
“The addition of Research & IRB capabilities into Censinet RiskOps addresses a major vulnerability for many organizations and enables our healthcare providers to deliver more continuous coverage to drive down their risk significantly,” said Ed Gaudet, CEO and Founder of Censinet. “Health systems face a unique portfolio of risks in caring for patients. Our laser focus on healthcare enables us to continually deliver industry-driven solutions that general-purpose risk solutions just can’t. Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB exemplifies that.”
As part of the IRB review process, institutions contributing and managing subject data must ensure they manage it appropriately while ensuring that measures are put in place for protection. Too often, these research projects are run by professionals with limited or no experience with cybersecurity, repeatedly without the oversight of the CISO or risk IT team. In the too infrequent event that a cybersecurity risk assessment is done for research, it’s likely using the same antiquated spreadsheet methods now superseded by Censinet RiskOps. For research and IRBs, Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB help assess and manage the cybersecurity risk to a hospital system’s sharing PHI with researchers. General IRB workflow tools do not cover this cybersecurity approach because they focus on study oversight, not on data protection.
“Protecting data in support of IRB research studies is a core pillar of our cybersecurity program at Intermountain Healthcare, and IRB assessments represent a significant portion of our overall risk assessments annually,” said Erik Decker, Assistant Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Intermountain Healthcare. “Censinet RiskOps enables us to automate IRB risk assessments on the same platform we use for IT vendor and product assessments, consolidating, coordinating, and unifying our cybersecurity risk management program.”
Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB is available now. For a live preview of the research and IRB workflows, along with Censinet’s market-leading vendor risk management capabilities, please visit censinet.com/riskops-demo-request.
About Censinet
Censinet, based in Boston, MA, enables healthcare organizations to take the risk out of their business with Censinet RiskOpsTM, the first and only cloud-based exchange that integrates and consolidates enterprise risk management and operations capabilities across critical clinical and business areas. Censinet RiskOps builds upon the Company’s foundational success with third-party risk management (TPRM) for healthcare. As a result, Censinet transforms healthcare risk by increasing productivity and operational effectiveness while eliminating risks to care delivery, data privacy, and patient safety. Find out more about Censinet and its RiskOps platform at censinet.com.
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Contact:
Rob Ciampa
Censinet
(617) 286-6785
rciampa@censinet.com
Key Points:
What is Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB?
- Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB is the first cybersecurity risk management solution specifically designed to address the unique needs of healthcare research and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).
- It streamlines and automates risk assessments for research projects, ensuring patient data (PHI) shared with researchers is protected and compliant with cybersecurity standards.
Why is cybersecurity important for research and IRBs?
- Research studies often involve sensitive patient data but are frequently managed by professionals without cybersecurity expertise or oversight.
- Common challenges include:
- Lack of CISO Involvement: Many research projects bypass the IT risk or security team.
- Outdated Assessment Methods: Risk assessments, when performed, often rely on manual spreadsheet-based processes.
- Limited Focus on Data Protection: Existing IRB workflows prioritize study oversight, not data security.
- Without robust cybersecurity measures, healthcare organizations are at risk of breaches and noncompliance.
How does Censinet RiskOps improve IRB cybersecurity?
- Censinet RiskOps replaces antiquated and risk-prone processes with automated workflows that:
- Assess and manage cybersecurity risks tied to research projects.
- Ensure patient data is securely shared with researchers.
- Provide continuous monitoring and oversight for IRB-related cybersecurity risks.
- The platform unifies IRB risk assessments with IT vendor and product assessments, creating a centralized and efficient cybersecurity management system.
What are the key features of Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB?
- Automated Risk Assessments: Streamlines cybersecurity assessments for research projects, saving time and reducing error.
- Unified Risk Management: Consolidates IRB risk assessments with IT vendor and product assessments on a single platform.
- Data Protection: Focuses on safeguarding sensitive patient data shared with researchers.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensures compliance with FDA and healthcare regulations for research oversight.
What are the benefits of using Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB?
- Enhanced Data Security: Protects patient information shared during research studies.
- Operational Efficiency: Automates and streamlines risk assessments, reducing manual workload.
- Improved Compliance: Helps organizations meet regulatory requirements for research oversight and data protection.
- Unified Risk Management: Combines IT vendor, product, and IRB risk management into one cohesive system, simplifying workflows.
Why is this solution a breakthrough for healthcare organizations?
- Traditional IRB workflows often exclude cybersecurity considerations, leaving healthcare providers vulnerable to data breaches and compliance issues.
- Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB addresses these gaps by:
- Providing a purpose-built solution tailored for research and IRBs.
- Delivering continuous risk coverage for research activities.
- Helping healthcare organizations proactively manage and mitigate risks tied to patient data in research.
What organizations are already benefiting from Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB?
- Intermountain Healthcare: Erik Decker, CISO and Assistant Vice President, stated that IRB assessments represent a significant portion of their risk management efforts, and Censinet RiskOps has helped automate and unify their cybersecurity processes.
Where can I learn more about Censinet RiskOps for Research & IRB?
- Request a live demo of the research and IRB workflows at Censinet.com/riskops-demo-request.
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