Very mixed day: Obama Notifies of Intent to Veto CISPA, but Gun Control Dies

The suspense is over as Obama actually stands tall again, in defense of Americans' privacy. No get out of jail free card for the corporations who want to share private data. Back to the drawing board for Congress. Can they ever get it right? We all know what is needed, but Congress is just too busy trying to manage all that lobbyist money. It's a lot to keep track of! I applaud the efforts of the ACLU in keeping the pressure on Obama; he actually used some of their language in his statements.

However, what is the deal with this lack of responsible gun control? We're not talking about taking guns away from anyone, except possibly those who are so screwed up as to fail a reasonable background check. Now, wouldn't we want this to occur? This one has the major support of the majority of Americans, but the NRA is way out of bounds here. It's almost too absurd and blatant to believe. I don't need to hear another person screaming "guns don't kill people, people do"! Some people should not have the guns that kill people.

Healthcare HITECH Privacy and Security Summit, May 21 at the Universal City Hilton

HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) Southern California has partnered with ISSA-LA (Information Systems Security Association Los Angeles) to present the Healthcare HITECH Privacy and Security Summit, May 21 at the Universal City Hilton.

This event will bring together leaders in Privacy and Security within government and private industry for a day of collaboration, networking and presentations by leading Privacy and Security professionals. You will learn from experts what you need to know to comply with new HITECH rules and OCR investigations.

Keynote Speaker

Howard Schmidt

White House Cybersecurity Coordinator, Retired

Special Advisor to President Obama

“The Summit is packed with an All-Star cast of speakers, who will share their knowledge and experience to help prepare covered entities and business associates to meet the September 23, 2013 Compliance Deadline of the final omnibus rule”, according to Richard Greenberg, ISSA Fellow, Los Angeles Board member, and Information Security Officer for Los Angeles County Public Health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published  the rule, which modifies the privacy and security, breach notification, and enforcement regulations now a part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

“You’ll hear directly from a wide variety of professionals, including  Yun-kyung (Peggy) Lee of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights, who will prepare attendees in case of an OCR investigation”, continued Mr. Greenberg. “We have attorneys, CISOs, a Privacy Officer, and other experts who will engage with attendees as part of panels on BYOD and Business Associates, and during the Roundtable Luncheon.”

According to the Open Security Foundation's DataLossDB, which tracks the loss, theft, or exposure of personally identifiable information, out of the 1,520 total incidents reported last year, 327 occurred in the medical industry, making it the most widely breached industry in the United States. Healthcare has been one of China’s priorities in its 15-year science and technology development strategy for 2006 to 2020, and has resulted in a surge in campaigns against Healthcare firms.

The Summit provides an excellent opportunity to learn how your peers are handling important privacy and security issues arising from HITECH, such as data breaches, compliance, and mobile device security. The Summit provides a collaborative environment where attendees and speakers can network, share experiences, and learn from one another.

The Summit will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm at the Universal City Hilton.

ISSA-LA is the premier catalyst and information source in Los Angeles for improving the practice of information security. The Chapter provides educational programs for information security and IT professionals. The Chapter conducts outreach programs to businesses, financial institutions, nonprofits, governmental agencies, and consumers.  ISSA-LA is the founding Chapter of the Information Systems Security Association, an international not-for-profit association of information security professionals and practitioners.

For more information or to register for the Healthcare HITECH Privacy and Security Summit, please visit: http://www.issala.org/summit/healthcare-hitech-privacy-and-security-summit/

The agenda can be viewed here:

http://www.issala.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Healthcare-Summit-Schedule-7.2.pdf

Who Should Attend

•       Privacy Professionals

•       Security Professionals

•       Risk Management Professionals

•       Clinicians

•       Hospitals and other Healthcare Providers

•       Health Plan Professionals

•       Employers and Healthcare Purchasers

•       State, Regional and Community-Based Health Information Organizations

•       Public Health Officials

•       Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Medical Device Manufacturers

•       Healthcare IT Consultants, Suppliers and Vendors

•       State and Federal Policy Makers

•       Health Services Researchers

•       Academics

•       Chief Executive Officers

•       Chief Operating Officers

•       Chief Technology Officers

•       Chief Financial Officers

•       Compliance Officers

•       Health Law Attorneys

•       Medical Directors

•       Physicians

•       Managed Care Professionals

•       Medical Group Managers

•       Data Managers

•       Ethics Officers

•       Health Insurance Executives

•       Consultants

•       Government Agency Employees

•       Health Administration Faculty